Chancellor John Wiley refused to sign a proposal to curtail sweatshop labor in the production of UW-Madison merchandise. Now Associated Students of Madison is voicing its concerns with Wiley's decision.
The plan Wiley refused to adopt would have required a certain amount of all UW-Madison merchandise to be produced in union-friendly factories. Wiley refused to sign on the grounds that the proposal would do little to change current labor conditions.
But ASM Workers Rights Campaign Chair John Bruning said he thinks Wiley may have been swayed by corporate contributors to the university.
'He might be getting some pressure from other donors not to adopt this,' Bruning said.
Wiley has previously voiced his support for organizations that take on sweatshops. But according to Bruning, the chancellor passed up a key chance to combat unfair labor practices in refusing to sign the proposal. Wiley has done a lot, Bruning said, 'but we don't think he's gone far enough.'
ASM, the architect of the original proposal, has no plans to draft a new one. Instead, it hopes that Wiley will change his mind and lead the University to adopt the original.
According to Bruning, ASM members were hoping to meet with Wiley but have been unable as he recently left the country for several weeks.
