The Wooster Democratic Socialists is actively campaigning across campus to affiliate The College of Wooster with the Workers Rights Consortium.
According to Celeste Tannenbaum ’13, the WRC is a labor-rights organization that investigates collegiate apparel suppliers to ensure fair labor standards are instituted across the globe.† Tannenbaum states affiliating with the WRC is a strong step, signaling that Wooster is committed to becoming a “sweat-free campus.”
The Wooster Democratic Socialists circulated a petition to President Cornwell.† The petition is† co-signed by 18 student organizations and over 500 students.† Citing the 2009 Commencement speech and Cornwell’s commitment to global engagement, the petition states, “It is our moral obligation to ensure that the Wooster name and logo appear only on ethically produced products. For this reason, it is imperative that we begin work with the WRC as soon as possible.”
According to Tannenbaum, the petition was well-received by the President, and she notes his support has been critical in taking steps to affiliate with the WRC.† She also notes the bookstore staff “has been really cooperative” in instituting change.
Director of Administrative and Auxillary Services Jackie Middleton indicated that the bookstore does make efforts to remain sweatshop-free in its purchasing.† She stated, “The Wilson Bookstore currently takes all available measures to ensure that the products in our college store are manufactured in a manner that is consistent with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Fair Standards Act.”
Wilson Bookstore currently reviews its vendors’ Code of Business Conduct statements yearly before renewing a purchasing commitment.† Tannenbaum hopes an affiliation with WRC will further the bookstore’s commitment to sweatshop-free products by using external monitoring to support self-reported practices.
The Wooster Democratic Socialists are working with Campus Council and the Student Government Association to approve the affiliation with WRC.† In the meantime, Tannenbaum stated, the group, as well as the other 18 co-signing organizations, is working to raise awareness on campus on the importance of becoming sweatshop-free and what it means to live a sweatshop-free lifestyle.
Tannenbaum is excited about affiliating with the WRC because the organization investigates supplier factories based on the school’s self-developed Code of Conduct.† Though Tannenbaum notes the WRC stipulates some elements of the Code of Conduct to protect for “basic human rights,” she envisions a campus forum to discuss the campus’s code.† “I want to draft it together as a school,” said Tannenbaum, “have this be something students are involved in.”
The Wooster Democratic Socialists will be hosting a speaker on Thursday, April 15 at 7 p.m. in Kauke 305 to discuss sweatshops, Neoliberalism and Socialism.† Mark Engler, author of “How to Rule the World,” and Erik Rosenberg, National Organizer of Young Democratic Socialists USA, will be present.† Tannenbaum states she hopes the speaking engagement will serve as “a big rallying point” for the multiple student interest groups hoping to encourage the College’s affiliation with the Worker’s Rights Consortium.