Notre Dame has taken the lead again in the anti-sweatshop movement, this time prohibiting the manufacture of any licensed products in countries – including China- that don’t recognize the right of workers to form unions.
The University made the announcement in January along with the University of California system. They were believed to be the first institutions to restrict licensees in this way.
Because of the need for licensees to shift production from noncompliant countries, the requirement will be phased in, with full implementation no later than June 30, 2001.
The move – consistent with Catholic social teaching recognizing the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively- was among the latest recommendations of President Malloy’s year-old Task Force on Anti-Sweatshop Initiatives.
In 1997 Notre Dame became the first university to establish a code of conduct for its licensees. Last year it became the first to begin monitoring overseas factories that manufacture its licensed products.