The Student Labor Action Coalition held a musical protest outside Chancellor Biddy Martin's office Friday to encourage UW-Madison to cut its apparel contract with Nike over unpaid workers' wages in two factories in Honduras.
Martin previously gave Nike a 120-day deadline to take action on the issue. The deadline expires April 7.
Martin, who was in her office at the time of the protest and met with the organizers, said she would sever the contract with Nike if they did not remedy the situation to a significant degree.
""I don't think they have been adequately responsive to what we've asked them to do about the situation in Honduras yet,"" Martin said in an interview before the protest.
Martin said no formal plans are in place in case Nike does not take action but said the ""appropriate people are at least thinking about plans for the future.""
UW-Madison junior and SLAC organizer Daniel Cox said a large company like Nike can be affected if its public image is harmed by a contract being cut.
""It works even better with a company like Nike because they have a brand name that they have to live up to,"" Cox said.
UW-Madison said in a news release that Nike closed the two factories in Honduras unexpectedly in January 2009 and workers were owed $2 million in back wages. The UW-Madison Labor Licensing Policy Committee recommended to Martin in November to cut the contract with Nike for violating UW's code of conduct for companies that manufacture UW apparel.
Cox said Martin should follow the committee's recommendation by enforcing the code of conduct.
""If the codes aren't going to be enforced then they're really just paper,"" Cox said.
In February 2009 UW-Madison ended its contract with Russell Athletics, another apparel manufacturer, for closing a factory in Honduras when workers attempted to unionize.
