U.S. Newswire
March 17, 1999
by Carl Fillichio, U.S. Department of Labor

WASHINGTON, March 15 -- Following is a statement by Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman: U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman issued the following statement today congratulating the seventeen major colleges and universities for being the first institutions of higher learning to join the Fair Labor Association:

"Students, alumni, parents and fans take great pride in their school's name...today, they have a reason to be even prouder.

As a result of intelligent college activism, seventeen major universities have signed onto the Fair Labor Association, an organization founded by the apparel industry and human rights groups, following President Clinton's challenge in 1996. This partnership among students, faculty and administrators means their institutions pledge that their products, from hats to sweatshirts, will not be made with sweatshop labor.

I applaud the leadership of these institutions of higher learning. University-licensed products generate more than $2.5 billion in retail sales every year. These schools are sending an important message -- to their students, their licensees and to all consumers -- that they will not tolerate university logo products that are manufactured under abusive conditions. And they join an impressive coalition of garment retailers, manufacturers, human rights groups and consumer advocates that created the Fair Labor Association.

In the past, the university community has played an important role in the human rights movement. Today, a new chapter is being written in that history. I urge other colleges and universities to add their voices to this effort."

The colleges and universities that affiliated with the Fair Labor Association include: University of Arizona, Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Florida State University, Harvard University, M arymount University, University of Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Smith College, Tufts University, Wellesley College and Yale University.