Georgetown students ended a nearly 35-hour sit-in that protest against Nike after the the university accepted their conditions and promised that the school’s president would meet to discuss their concerns.
Seventeen undergraduates took over president John DeGioia’s office on Thursday morning to demand that the school cut its licensing agreement with Nike because of what they say are unfair labor practices at the company’s factories in Vietnam. On December 6, the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) i released a report detailing some of the conditions in the Hansae factory, in part prompting the sit-in.
The students want the university to not renew its contract with Nike unless the contract includes language that expressly allowed the WRC to conduct independent inspections and reports of Nike factories.
According to the Washington Post, DeGioia plans to meet with the protesters and members of the university’s Licensing Oversight Committee before December 14 to discuss the school’s relationship with Nike, reaffirm the agreement students and administrators reached Friday, and discuss labor codes of conduct.
Nike indicated it remained hopeful of reaching an agreement with Georgetown on its licensing contract.
Georgetown’s current contract expires Dec. 31. The university’s licensing agreement with Nike is separate from its sponsorship deal to provide gear for its athletic teams with Nike’s Jordan brand. Georgetown’s relationship with Nike dates back to the 1980s, and former men’s basketball Head Coach John Thompson, Jr. is a member of Nike’s board.
