UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley will address the UW Athletic Department's deal with Adidas and the Hermosa factory situation Wednesday at noon at a Labor Licensing Policy Committee in 260 Bascom Hall.
After Hermosa factory workers complained of not being paid and were allegedly placed on a blacklist for unionizing, UW-Madison members of the Student Labor Action Coalition united to oppose the university's deal with Adidas—the factory is an Adidas subcontractor.
The LLPC, which is a shared governance committee with both ASM student members and UW-Madison administrators, has been publicly discussing the Adidas situation since early March.
LLPC's Feb. 23 meeting minutes suggest that SLAC wants the university to cut both the sponsorship and licensing agreements it holds with Adidas due to the fact ""that Adidas has not been responsive to the allegations of black-listing, failure to pay compensation to terminated workers, and failure to make good on social security and pension contributions to terminated workers.""
According to Molly Glasgow, SLAC member and regional organizer of United Students Against Sweatshops Midwest, UW-Madison administrative members of the LLPC will be present, including Special Assistant to the Chancellor LaMarr Billups, Trademarks Licensing Manager Cindy VanMatre and Special Assistant to the Chancellor Dawn Crim, who has been in El Salvador personally investigating the Hermosa situation.
""What we've said has already been said,"" Glasgow said. ""The Chancellor's coming to the meeting and giving a response to our demands and the demands of the committee.""
SLAC has staged various demands for the chancellor's attention to this issue, including a rally on Bascom Hill last Thursday, and the delivering of a large boot and shoes on two different occasions to Wiley's Bascom Hill office.
""It's really necessary to send a message—‘If you're going to exploit people, you're not doing business here at the university,'"" SLAC member Nick Limbeck told The Daily Cardinal April 10. ""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.""
