STAFF EDITORIAL: Poor excuses on sweatshops

Penn's demand for greater unicersity representation on the WRC's governing board doesn't comport with reality. Such an argument, however, stands contrary to fact. We understand the University's reservations with the Fair Labor Association, of which it was a member until this February. The industry-dominated group only gives one of 13 seats on its governing board to a university representative. But fair representation is not a reason to eschew membership in the Worker Rights Consortium, which has the backing of Penn Students Against Sweatshops and most human rights and labor organizations. Of the 12 seats on the WRC's governing board, fully six are to be split between students and administrators from member colleges and universities. This seems more than adequate to us. College-logo apparel accounts for only 1 percent of the market the FLA and the WRC hope to regulate, and it is ludicrous for Penn to ask that higher education representatives hold a majority of the seats on the WRC's board. What is not in dispute is that the factories where Penn-logo apparel is made need to be monitored for violations of workers' rights. But monitoring will only take place after Penn is a member of the FLA, the WRC or both. The most effective way for Penn to pursue institutional reform of the FLA and WRC is from the inside, where it would already have a seat at the table. We have said before and will say again that Penn's best hopes for effective monitoring of factory conditions come with membership in the WRC. While the organization is in its infancy, its membership rolls have increased from four to 35 schools over the last two months. Furthermore, the WRC's labor standards -- including a living wage, which is not endorsed by the FLA -- are more closely aligned with Penn's official code of conduct. And the human rights organizations that would perform the actual monitoring have made it clear that they will only work with the WRC, and not the FLA. Its other advantages aside, the WRC is promising half of the seats on its governing board to university representatives. Can Penn really expect anything more?