The Chronicle of Higher Education
Date: May 30, 1997
Section: Money & Management
Page: A41
To insure that its sweatshirts aren't made in sweatshops, the University of Notre Dame is requiring all of its licensees to pledge that they hire neither children nor workers from prisons or forced-labor pools.
The pledge is part of a new university code of conduct that applies to manufacturers of goods bearing the Notre Dame logo. The code also calls on them to guarantee that they provide healthy and safe working conditions, comply with environmental laws, and require employees to work no more than 60 hours a week.
No incident prompted Notre Dame to adopt the code, says Carol C. Kaesebier, the university's vice-president and general counsel. The Board of Trustees, which requested the policy three years ago, was simply aware of public concern about alleged labor abuses, she says. Some of the allegations concern sneaker and sportswear companies.
Notre Dame, which earns more from licenses than any other college or university, according to a new survey by the American Collegiate Licensing Association, hopes that other institutions adopt codes. Rick Van Brimmer, president of the licensing association and assistant director of licensing at the Ohio State University, says he expects other colleges to follow suit. "It's something we've all started to pay attention to. We want to stand for the right things."
Copyright (c) 1997 by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc.
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Title: Notre Dame Adopts Code Banning Merchandise Made in Sweatshops
Published: 97/05/30