Students Petition to End Sweatshop-Produced Goods at Rutgers

Editor's Note: The following information is a press release from United Students Against Sweatshops.

Students from United Students Against Sweatshops, Rutgers University Student Assembly and other student organizations hosted a “Disaffiliation Party” for President McCormick at a meeting with the Rutgers President this morning, calling on him to finally pull the university out of the so-called “Fair Labor Association,” which has been discredited for covering up sweatshop abuse by companies producing Scarlet Knight apparel.

Students greeted President McCormick with applause then presented him with a celebratory cake and thank you card, but were shocked and disappointed when he refused to commit to disaffiliate from the Fair Labor Association and end sweatshop abuse in Rutgers’ supply chain.

The students reiterated multiple cases in which the FLA has been complicit in workers’ rights abuses and asked President McCormick to use his remaining time at Rutgers to set an example for other institutions by disaffiliating. Even after introducing dozens of organizations and student supporters, President McCormick refused to address students’ concerns and expressed that they should not have come to the meeting with high expectations. McCormick stated that he would not disaffiliate, and students expressed that in spite of his answer today, they remain confident that he will do the right thing before he leaves Rutgers.

“Rutgers University can no longer remain complicit in global exploitation. We must lead by example and make our university apparel sweatshop free by disaffiliating from the FLA,” explains Anna Barcy, Rutgers freshman. “We’re ready to celebrate once President McCormick decides to finally do the right thing.”