University Sits Down with Workers Rights Group
By RACHEL BELLAVIA AND JEREMY G. BURTON | Nov. 12, 2004Two years of work by UB Students Against Sweatshops culminated Thursday in an open forum with a representative from the Workers Rights Consortium, who met earlier in the day with UB President John Simpson to talk about UB joining the labor rights organization."We've been organizing to affiliate with WRC for two years now, and for most of that time we've had a completely unreceptive administration," said Colin O'Malley, a UBSAS member who helped organize the event.The WRC is an independent monitoring board that ensures that factories where clothing bearing the UB logo is produced are in compliance with labor standards."I feel we've given the university plenty of information and reason, and I think we're getting to the point where the administration doesn't have a reason not to join," O'Malley added.Scott Nova, the executive director of the WRC, said his meeting with Simpson was "a pleasant discussion," but he could not characterize whether Simpson was leaning towards a decision on joining the group.Dennis Black, vice president for Student Affairs, called Thursday a "listening day," that was part of the natural process of looking into the decision whether to affiliate with the WRC.
