HSU and Monitoring Sweatshops

HSU claims to strongly promote social change through the graduation pledge. Yet, HSU does not participate, directly, in any program to eliminate sweatshops. Although it would be nice if HSU participated in the Designated Supplier's Program, HSU does not even participate in the Fair Labor Association! (source: http://www.fairlabor.org/participants/colleges)

The Fair Labor Association is a monitoring organization original founded under the auspices of President Clinton and apparel corporations during the late '90s. It has since become one of the standard factory monitoring organizations for Universities and corporations to affiliate with. They are, in many ways, ill-equipped to handle sweatshops. However, even with their flaws, a university would greatly benefit with the combined forces of the Designated Supplier's Proposal and the Fair Labor Association.

Although our University may purchase clothing from corporations that may be affiliated with the Fair Labor Association, it does not excuse the fact that we, ourselves, are not participating in the Fair Labor Association. We may disagree with the Fair Labor Association, but both - the absence of the Designated Supplier's Program and the Fair Labor Association - seem to indicate that HSU needs to make a change!

-Kenji