This Thursday, April 24 marks the one year anniversary of the infamous Rana Plaza factory collapse that claimed 1,132 innocent workers’ lives. This incident was the largest industrial workplace disaster that has ever happened. In the last two years alone, over 1,500 workers have died due to preventable factory fires and building collapses.
In the wake of these disasters and immense public pressure, over 150 brands from 21 countries have signed onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. The Accord is a legally-binding contract between brands and local and international unions that requires factories to undergo independent inspections by trained fire safety experts; public reporting of the results of all inspections; mandatory repairs and renovations financed by the brands to address all identified hazards; and a central role for workers and their unions.
Beginning last fall, we and other students across the country have called on our universities to employ their leverage over companies who produce in Bangladesh to improve the garment industry. We asked our universities to require licensees, companies who have the rights to produce items with our university logo, sign onto the Accord. At UW-Madison we ran this campaign for 7 months, doing letter deliveries, vigils, banner drops, and other actions. A month ago, Chancellor Blank announced that UW- Madison would take this instrumental step.
Now that the UW has made this incredible commitment, we need to make sure the university follows through on enforcing this requirement. Licensees that do not sign onto the Accord by July 31, 2014 will have their contract terminated. Currently, UW-Madison is trying to let Jansport off the hook from this requirement. Jansport is a subsidiary of VF Corporation, which sources from 91 factories in Bangladesh, employing an alarming 190,000 workers.
Instead of committing to safe working conditions for their factory workers, VF Corporation has stated that it refuses to sign onto the Accord, and instead is party to an alternate program called the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. The Alliance is spearheaded by Walmart and GAP and is a corporate-run, non-binding agreement which does not require that brands pay for renovations, and does nothing to protect garment workers in Bangladesh. The international community, including Bangladeshi workers, are calling upon VF Corporation to sign the Accord. VF’s blatant disregard for worker safety makes it clear that its business practices in Bangladesh fail to live up to UW’s standards.
As the one year anniversary of Rana Plaza approaches, it is paramount that UW-Madison cut its contract with Jansport. The contract between the UW and Jansport states that it may be terminated if the licensee “commits any act or omission that damages or reflects unfavorably, embarrasses or otherwise detracts from the good reputation of any Collegiate Institution.” VF Corporation’s refusal to sign onto the Accord coupled with its long history as a serial violator of workers’ rights damages UW-Madison’s reputation and they do not deserve to be able to produce Bucky Badger apparel.
The one year anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster is a solemn occasion, but also a tremendous opportunity for us stand in solidarity with garment workers in Bangladesh who produce UW-Madison apparel. Workers in Bangladesh will be taking action to demand safe conditions, and students at over twenty universities across the US will be taking action to call on our universities to cut contracts with Jansport.
We, the Student Labor Action Coalition, call upon the UW to cut its contract with Jansport, and invite you to join us at the Chancellor’s office this Thursday, April 24 at 11:45 a.m. to speak with her about this pressing issue.
How do you feel the University of Wisconsin should react to Jansport? What do you think the university’s role in corporate agreements should be? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
