Apparel licensees requested to disclose manufacturing sites by Jan. 1

April 18, 2007
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EDITORS: A sample copy of the memo is available.

ANN ARBOR–The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), which represents 172 colleges and universities, last week sent out a memorandum to all manufacturers licensed to use the trademarks of the University of Michigan and six other CLC member institutions on apparel and other items. The memo is a formal notification on behalf of the seven universities that licensees must fully disclose information about the sites at which their products are manufactured not later than Jan. 1, 2000.

Along with the U-M, this notification was sent on behalf of the University of Arizona, Duke University, Georgetown University, the University of North Carolina, the University of Wisconsin and St. John’s University.

The U-M had already established its intent to require disclosure by licensees in a Although the memo states that it affects only the licensees of the listed universities, it was sent to the licensees of all CLC member institutions, encouraging them “to begin giving serious consideration to labor code issues if you have not already done so.”

Bruce Siegal, vice president and general counsel of CLC, said that his company’s role has been to help its members take advantage of strength in numbers. “Sending out this memo is a prime example. These seven major institutions are pulling together to exercise their collective clout with the hope of making a significant impact on the labor code issues we’re all working hard to address. The greatest challenge will be to develop a uniform system for monitoring code compliance. Site disclosure is a big step forward in the process,” said Siegal.

Siegal added that many other CLC member institutions will be announcing labor code requirements over the next several months and stressed the importance of developing industry-wide solutions to making an impact on global workplace conditions.

The University’s Advisory Committee on Labor Standards and Human Rights, also called for in the U-M’s Code of Conduct, has been meeting since September, according to John Chamberlin, professor of public policy and chair of the Committee. “We’ve been studying the range of issues relating to sweatshop labor,” Chamberlin said, “including recommendations for implementing the full disclosure requirement, various means of ensuring compliance with the University’s Code of Conduct and developing the contents of the Code, with particular emphasis on the issues of a living wage and women’s rights.”

The Committee sponsored a public forum in November on approaches to ensuring compliance with codes of conduct. Chamberlin said the Committee is planning another public forum in mid-January that will focus on the living wage, women’s rights and other issues addressed in the Code.

The text of the U-M Code is available on the web at http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/1999/Mar99/sweats.html.

established its intentJohn Chamberlinhttp://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/1999/Mar99/sweats.html