Chancellor of UW to end Nike licensing relationship

12 Apr '10

4 min read

Both the LLPC and a student group, the Student Labor Action Coalition, recommended that UW-Madison sever its ties with Nike. In past instances involving other brands, the university has actively engaged companies in an effort to find solutions that ultimately provide the workers with fair compensation.

However, in other cases - such as those involving Russell Athletic in 2009 and New Era in 2008 - the university has taken similar steps to end license relationships.

"Quite simply, we are a university that wants to do the best for workers making products bearing our name," says Dawn Crim, special assistant to the chancellor for community relations and liaison to the LLPC.

UW-Madison has been a national leader among colleges and universities working to curb sweatshop abuses in licensed-apparel manufacturing. The university has contracts allowing more than 500 companies to make products bearing the university's name or logos. The products are made in approximately 3,300 factories in 47 countries worldwide.

Today's action does not preclude the university from doing business with Nike in the future if the company demonstrates compliance with the labor code of conduct.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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