UM Ends Business Relationship With Apparel Company

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00) Tuesday, 03 March 2009 23:03

UM severed its business relationship with Russell Athletic on March 3 over allegations the sports clothing company closed a Honduran factory because workers unionized.

Contact: Jim Foley, UM executive vice president, 406-243-2311, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

UM ENDS BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH APPAREL COMPANY

MISSOULA –

The University of Montana severed its business relationship with Russell Athletic on March 3 over allegations the sports clothing company closed a Honduran factory because workers unionized.

In a letter to Russell, UM Executive Vice President Jim Foley wrote, “We believe that your actions constitute a violation of our vendor code of conduct, which we implemented together with faculty, students and staff on our campus and we expect as a licensee for you to uphold.”

The letter states that University officials concur with findings of the Workers Rights Consortium and Fair Labor Association that the ability for workers to organize and animus toward them was a factor in Russell choosing to close the factory. Company officials contend they closed the Jerzees de Honduras factory primarily for economic reasons.

A UM group called Students for Economic and Social Justice, which opposes sweatshops, championed the cause of workers at the Honduran factory by staging several protests on campus.

Russell Athletic, a subsidiary of Fruit of the Loom Inc., is based in Atlanta and Alexander City, Ala. The University has notified the Collegiate Licensing Company of its intentions to no longer work with Russell.


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