University of Arizona students campaign against sweatshop-produced apparel, 1997-1999

The anti-sweatshop movement was the largest student activism movement in the United States since the South African divestment movement over ten years before. Students all around the country pressured college and university administrators to adopt strict labor codes that guaranteed that merchandise bearing the college’s logo was not made by people working under unacceptable, “sweatshop-like” conditions. Students at the University of Arizona along with students at many other campuses began actively promoting the campaign in 1997 after students at Duke University held the first major anti-sweatshop sit-in that fall (see "Duke students campaign against sweatshops, 1997-1999").

The students at the University of Arizona targeted the administration’s support and contracts with major companies like Nike, Champion, and Fruit of the Loom, which paid the University royalties in exchange for the right to use their logo on apparel items. The students demanded that these companies ensure that their workers were paid a living wage, did not discriminate against women, made public the locations and names of all their factories, and allowed independent monitoring of their practices.

Arizona students Monica Wilson and James Tracy founded the group Students Against Sweatshops in 1997, which soon after became involved with a national umbrella group, United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS). This affiliation with USAS meant that the students at the University of Arizona could use the USAS’ website and listserv to share ideas, compare tactics and strategies, and to define a “living wage” with numerous groups from other campuses. The University of Arizona’s SAS used the website to keep other similar campus groups informed of their actions and to share moral support. In addition to being electronically connected via USAS, student activists also brought laptops and cell phones with them when they occupied administration buildings to stay in contact with other members of the group. In May of 1999, the USAS listserv heated up after the popular Fox television series Party of Five included a scene in which one of the show's characters, Sarah (played by Jennifer Love Hewitt), helped organize a Students Against Sweatshops sit-in on her campus.

However, before the movement had become nationally known, Students Against Sweatshops (SAS) was simply a developing group on the University of Arizona’s campus. Their first campaign was targeted against a proposed $7 million contract between the University and Nike. On February 25, 1998, about twelve SAS protesters picketed in front of the administration building and surrounded UA President Peter Likins as he walked by. They asked him questions about the contract to which he responded that he would like to put terms in the UA-Nike contract that would motivate the company to treat its workers better. Likins invited the protesters to attend a meeting where the terms would be discussed, but made it clear that students were “not yet part of the conversation”.

Less than two months later, on April 21, 1998, Students Against Sweatshops, unhappy with their exclusion, staged another protest. “Christmas in April” featured a visit from Santa Claus who, along with several protesters, presented President Likins with “presents” of old Nike sneakers donated by fellow students in protest. Each pair of shoes had a tale of Nike’s abuses attached to them for the president to consider when evaluating the Nike contract. SAS notified newspapers and television stations of the protest in advance and they were present to provide media coverage. Later that day, SAS hosted a teach-in on free trade and labor, which was attended by 50 students and community members.

Unfortunately, despite SAS’ efforts, the University signed the contract with Nike on August 17. Earlier that month, realizing the likelihood of this event, SAS had decided not to oppose the contract but rather to focus on ways to void the deal if Nike did not comply with labor rights or its own code of conduct. SAS leaders compiled a list of independent labor monitoring groups and presented it to Likins with hopes that he would consider hiring a monitoring group to make sure Nike followed fair labor practices. Likins responded by including a clause in the contract that stated that the University had the power to call for the inspection of factories and if Nike knowingly violated its code of conduct or overlooked human rights violations made by subcontractors, the University could void the contract. Likins seemed to respect the efforts of SAS stating, “I have to give credit to SAS. They caused me to give extra consideration to determine whether an independent entity was necessary. It is very substantial step to put a clause like that in a contract.”

However, SAS president, Arne Ekstrom, still had some reservations. “We feel that most of what the administration had done is empty,” he said. “I don’t think that most of the dialogue we have had was effective by any means.”

It was during this time that Students Against Sweatshops gained the majority of their outside supporters. The national movement was receiving media attention and SAS worked hard to make their efforts known. Local groups and organizations responded to the students’ calls for support and national groups and labor unions were also backing these efforts. Renowned MIT linguistics professor Noam Chomksy as well as faculty and staff from the University of Arizona also put their faith in SAS’s mission.

Students Against Sweatshops went on a slight hiatus during the winter of 1998 but reemerged with new energy the following spring. In March 1999, the group drafted a statement of position and sent a letter to all of the student groups and President Likins asking for their support of the anti-sweatshop campaign. The statement outlined the group’s goals (full public disclosure of factory locations, a pledge to pay a living wage, allowing independent companies to monitor their labor practices, and a pledge to support the equal rights of female workers) and called for University of Arizona’s withdrawal from the federal government’s Fair Labor Association and the Collegiate Licensing Co. if the organizations refused to adopt these provisions. SAS received no response from President Likins.

On April 21, 1999, Students Against Sweatshops began their biggest and most influential action. Demanding Likins’ endorsement on their workers rights resolution, over 100 students marched on the Administration Building. The protesters had invited the school’s mascots and the “radical cheerleaders,” and they marched through campus along with other SAS members and supporters. Once they reached the president’s office, the protesters performed a skit ridiculing the UA’s involvement with the Fair Labor Association and presented the president with a petition with more 1000 student signatures opposing UA participation in the FLA. Sixty-seven students then stayed to initiate a sit-in outside the president’s office.

That night, 30 students camped out in Likins’ office and continued the sit-in for 225 hours (almost 10 days – the longest protest of any prior USAS sit-in). The students brought games and homework and began working in shifts to ensure as many as possible could continue to attend classes. Food was donated by the Food Conspiracy Co-Op and legal council offered by Southern Arizona People’s Law Center. However, with the exception of a police officer stationed overnight to ensure the student’s safety, the University never called in law enforcement. Instead, President Likins sat down on the floor with the demonstrators and discussed their resolution for over an hour and a half. Likins agreed to support the resolution but would not commit to a deadline. This was not acceptable to the protesters, so they continued the sit-in outside the president’s office.

After nearly ten days camped outside the president’s office, the sit-in officially ended after 225 hours when Likins agreed to meet the student’s demands. The protesters were invited into the conference room to watch as SAS officials and Likins signed documents designed to increase workers’ rights in overseas factories that manufacture UA apparel. Likins agreed to the four main goals of SAS resolution and to withdraw from FLA by Aug. 1, 2000 if the organization did not place the four points in its own code of conduct. The University also agreed to create a six-person task force, made up both of faculty members and students that would work to ensure these points were met and to obtain factory locations for any companies who renewed or formed new licensing contracts with the University. While SAS member Avery Kolers was hesitant to call the protest a victory, he did say they group had made important progress toward their goals.

Five years later, in 2004, the Faculty Senate Task Force for Monitoring Human Rights and Labor Issues released a report on UA’s progress. While they recognized the University’s significant progress, especially with independent factory monitors, they also acknowledged it could do more. Sweatshop-free apparel had become standard in athletics but not yet in the student bookstore. And even though the task force had determined the FLA had violated its labor rights contract, Likins refused to withdraw. Overall, however, the University of Arizona’s anti-sweatshop campaign is seen as a victory. The students and administration were able to reach a mutually acceptable agreement and work together to ensure workers’ rights were protected and codes of conduct upheld and respected.