With shouts of Cut the Contract!, a group of about 25 students from the University of Wisconsin’s Student Labor Action Coalition held a demonstration in front of Chancellor Biddy Martin’s office on Feb. 12, to protest the university’s apparel contract with Nike.
UW-Madison students were on the front end of the protests last year that tormented Russell over its Honduran labor policy.
The event amounted to a mock teach-in, entitled Nike 101, in which students explained the reasons they believe the university should cut the contract due to the closing of two factories in Honduras.
As reported, the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as Purdue University both said in December they were reviewing alleged workers rights abuses at two factories run by Nike subcontractors in Honduras. Both factories were reportedly shut down without notice in January 2009 and workers werent paid more than $2 million in severance and back wages. Both schools said they may end their contracts with Nike.
Nike has said the contractors were forced to close due to insolvency but it is working to resolve the severance issue.
In an e-mail to The Badger Herald, Martin said she received an e-mail from Nike on Jan. 15, which said it is investigating the feasibility of establishing a worker relief fund and of seeking commitments from its primary contractors to offer first-employment opportunities to affected workers. Martin said she responded by saying she was disappointed that Nike is not paying any severance and was looking for more progress. In December, Martin said she would give Nike four months to remedy the labor issues before considering ending its contract.
