UW-Madison representatives will travel to El Salvador Wednesday to visit Hermosa Manufacturing and to meet with previous workers of the Adidas manufacturer. Chancellor John Wiley hopes the trip will help him, along with the university's Labor Licensing Policy Committee, to make an informed decision on whether the university should cut the contract with Adidas, according to a University Communications release.
Dawn Crim, assistant to the director of community relations, is visiting at least two factories in the area with members of the Workers Rights Consortium. Crim said UW-Madison is the only university with such an arrangement with Adidas.
Although Wiley allegedly planned the trip to conclude the issue, members of the Student Labor Action Coalition said they feel the intentions behind the trip might not be sincere.
""It's just a ploy to stall any type of meaningful action on this issue,"" SLAC member Nick Limbeck said. ""They can wait until final exams, and then they leave for the summer and there are no students around to pressure them.""
SLAC member Phoebe Taurick agreed this could be a possibility and said there is already ample information regarding Hermosa, rendering the trip unnecessary.
""They might as well send an administrator to every country where these clothes are being made,"" Limbeck said. ""What do they expect, to send administration all over the world? That's absurd.""
Crim said she understands it is a complex problem but thinks the trip will help get a firsthand account of the possible problems for workers.
""It's hard to find points of accountability,"" Crim said. "" But we expect them to follow our code of conduct. This is one way of showing that UW-Madison will stand by these statements.""
Limbeck and Taurick agree there are certain issues Crim should focus on to see if the working conditions are as bad as the reports claimed.
Limbeck said he hopes Crim will talk to the workers who are on back pay and have not been paid for the work they have done.
The outcomes of the trip will be discussed at an April 25 meeting between Wiley, Crim and the LLPC.
Limbeck said UW-Madison's choice to take action could potentially influence other colleges in a similar situation as well as the future of the school's business deals.
""It's really necessary to send a message—‘If you're going to exploit people, you're not doing business here at the university,'"" Limbeck said. ""We have really good sports teams. Everyone wants to buy our t-shirts and hats. So someone is going to come along after Adidas when we cut their contract and make our clothes ... and if they want to do business with us they have to play by the rules.""
