Statement by Northwestern University
on the Fair Labor Association and the Worker Rights Consortium

In 1999, Northwestern University became a member early in the formation of the Fair Labor Association - a national organization committed to ensure proper working conditions for factory workers who produce apparel and footwear. Membership by the University represented an expression of its commitment to this purpose.

Because of its concern specifically for workers producing products bearing Northwestern logos, Northwestern became one of 22 colleges and universities to fund a pilot program to gain experience with non-government organization (NGO) participation in monitoring factories and to develop training programs that prepare NGOs to qualify as accredited monitors. Under the auspices of the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF), the pilot took place in three Latin American countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) where the training was coordinated by COVERCO (Commission for the Verification of Corporate Codes of Conduct), and in Taiwan.

The involvement of local and international NGOs help to ensure that the implementation of Codes of Conduct ultimately results in worker empowerment and the meaningful protection of workers' rights.

Northwestern is also a member of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), a higher education licensing consortium, that conducted pilot monitoring in Mexico, Costa Rica, Korea, and India.

In 2001, Northwestern also affiliated with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). The WRC's purpose is to assist in the enforcement of manufacturing Codes of Conduct adopted by colleges and universities; these Codes are designed to ensure that factories producing clothing and other goods bearing college and university names respect the basic rights of workers.

Northwestern has embraced all basic elements of the WRC Code of Conduct, however, it is not at this point willing to support the living wage standard in the WRC model Code for two reasons: first, it has yet to be defined; and second, Northwestern is not convinced that such a standard will do more good than harm to the very people it is trying to help. Therefore, Northwestern affiliated with the understanding, communicated by the WRC to Northwestern, that the WRC does not require affiliates to have a living wage provision and that the WRC University Bylaws will be changed to reflect that fact.

In addition, Northwestern University requires its licensees to provide full public disclosure of factory locations, including those of contractors and subcontractors. And that joining the FLA is a requirement to retain licensee status with Northwestern University.

While the FLA and WRC continue to develop, both have made significant progress. The FLA membership currently includes more than 200 schools, 33 non-government organizations on its NGO advisory committee, and over 3,300 companies licensed by these schools to produce collegiate merchandise have submitted applications to the FLA are either pending or approved. The WRC currently has around 185 college and university affiliates. Its governing board is made up of representatives from university affiliates, independent labor rights experts and United Students Against Sweatshops. More information on both organizations can be found at www.fairlabor.org and www.workersrights.org.

The FLA is developing cooperative relationships with such groups as Social Accountability International (SAI), the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production Program (WRAP), the Workers' Rights Consortium (WRC), the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), workers' rights groups in Latin America and Asia, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Northwestern University has asked all of its licensees, manufacturers of both apparel and non-apparel products, to join the FLA, abide by the FLA Code of Conduct (including additional women's rights language), and fully disclose the location of factories producing products bearing Northwestern logos. Licensees not complying with this request will have their license annulled.