July 21. 1999
Over the past 18 months, The University of Michigan (U of M), in cooperation with other universities and our licensing agency, The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), has participated in the debate regarding labor practices and the use of what has come to be recognized as sweatshop labor. The University is committed to assure that such practices are discouraged and that sweatshop labor conditions are improved. In pursuit of that goal. U of M has participated as one of thirteen universities on a Task Force facilitated by CLC in the drafting of a Code of Conduct which represents a minimum set of standards to be required of all licensees. In addition. on March 19, 1999, U of M President Lee Bollinger issued a Human Rights Policy statement in which he endorsed the principles of the draft CLC Code of Conduct and defined additional standards that will be required by U of M of its licensees. The U of M together with CLC is notifying all U of M licensees that adherence to the requirements set forth in the draft CLC Code of Conduct and the U of M Human Rights Policy must be included in all, current, pending and renewal, Michigan license agreements. As a part of the University's Human Rights Policy, the University will require the disclosure of specific factory locations. The following will be added to all licensing agreements. "Effective not later than January 1, 2000, The University of Michigan will require each licensed manufacturer to disclose to the U of M the location (name, city and street address) of each factory used in the production of all items which bear The University of Michigan marks. Thc University of Michigan reserves the right to disclose this information to third parties, without restriction as to its further distribution in conjunction with The University of Michigan Advisory Committee on Labor Standards and Human Rights." Currently, U of M is in dialogue with other institutions, CLC, government and non-government organizations in order to design and implement a monitoring system which will insure compliance with these policies. I am enclosing copies of both the Collegiate Code of Conduct for CLC Licensees and University's Human Rights Policy documents. If you have any questions about the foregoing, please contact Bruce Siegal, VP and General Counsel for CLC (770/956-0520) or Martha Johnson Chaddock at The University of Michigan (734/763-4183). Sincerely,
Enclosures
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