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Supply Chain Innovation

University of Washington

About the school's commitment to protecting workers' rights and the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct: The University of Washington is affiliated with both the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) to help ensure that products bearing University marks are not manufactured by companies utilizing abusive labor practices. The University, in connection with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), FLA, and WRC, has adopted Labor Code Standards that cover various issues, including wages and benefits, working hours, child labor, health and safety, and freedom of association. These standards are monitored and enforced at factories around the world by both the Fair Labor Association and Worker Rights Consortium.

Fair Labor Association Welcomes Three Board Members

WASHINGTON, DC – The Fair Labor Association, a joint effort of universities, civil society organizations and socially responsible companies dedicated to protecting workers’ rights around the world, announced today the appointment of three new members to its board of directors.  Each new member will represent a sector of the organization’s membership. The new members include a former child worker form Bangladesh, the retail and licensing expert at California State University, Long Beach, and the head of traceability for outdoor brand Patagonia.

Severance Payments for Terminated Workers in Guatemala

When Estofel, S.A. of Guatemala City, Guatemala, shut down in late 2007, a number of FLA affiliates—including the University of Washington, Gear for Sports, Hanesbrands and Philips-Van Heusen—led an effort with Ghim Li and the Collegiate Licensing Company that resulted in severance payments to 871 former Estofel workers from the parent company of the closed facility. Read more.

Fair Labor Association Welcomes Three Board Members
WASHINGTON, DC – The Fair Labor Association, a joint effort of universities, civil society organizations and socially responsible companies dedicated to protecting workers’ rights around the world, announced today the appointment of three new members to its board of directors.  Each new member will represent a sector of the organization’s membership. The new members include a former child worker form Bangladesh, the retail and licensing expert at California State University, Long Beach, and the head of traceability for outdoor brand Patagonia. “The strength...
The impact of supply chain evolutions on workers' rights
This is a guest post from Kyle Richard, a third-year law student at the University of Washington. Supply chains are rapidly evolving in every industry sector, and one of the most vital concerns is how labor standards can continue to be monitored and enforced throughout these evolving organizational structures. The University of Washington explored this topic during a March conference on “The Transformation of Supply Chains” featuring academic experts and leaders from several labor rights organizations, including Central General Trabajadores, Worker Rights Consortium, and the Fair...
University of Washington Fair Wages Workshop
On October 8, 2012, the FLA convened its fourth stakeholder forum on wages in Seattle, Washington, hosted by the University of Washington. The one day workshop was organized to provide information on the Fair Wage Assessment tools and to facilitate understanding of the methodology, and to share information about current pilots and brand experience with the assessments. Speakers included representatives from: Fair Wage Network; Adidas; H&M; and Puma For a full account of this event, download the report below.
Estofel, S.A. Factory in Guatemala

In May 2008, FLA received Third Party Complaints (3PC) from eight former workers at Estofel, S.A., a factory located in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The complainants raised allegations of labor violations, including failure to pay severance benefits owed to workers at the plant, which was closed in November 2007. Labor rights organization Commission for the Verification of Corporate Codes of Conduct (COVERCO) alerted FLA about the closure of the factory shortly after it occurred. FLA-affiliated company PVH Corp., and FLA-licensee University of Washington also addressed this issue. PVH Corp.