On Jan. 22, Georgetown University cancelled its apparel contract with Lands’ End Inc. indefinitely. Georgetown’s Licensing Oversight Committee recommended termination of Lands’ End’s contract because of the company’s inability to verify its compliance with the workers’ rights outlined in Georgetown’s Code of Conduct for Licensees.
Specifically, workers at a Lands’ End factory in Primo, El Salvador claimed that the company did not adhere to the Code’s requirement of recognition and respect for “the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.”
Georgetown and the students, faculty and administrators of the Licensing Oversight Committee should be commended for their dedication to social justice. Their effective approach proves that compassion and efficient business practices are not as incompatible as they might seem. “Working together in a committee shows that there is a way to address the sweat shop problem,” said Licensing Oversight Committee member Emil Totonchi (SFS ‘06). “Refusals to renew contracts show that changes can be made.”
In his Jan. 22 letter to Lands’ End, Dr. Daniel Porterfield, Georgetown’s Vice President for Public Affairs and Strategic Development, also cited the company’s unwillingness to cooperate with the Worker Rights Consortium as grounds for the University’s decision. “We take the [Worker Rights Consortium’s] findings seriously,” he wrote, emphasizing Georgetown’s commitment to “conducting its business affairs in a socially responsible manner consistent with its Jesuit tradition…[and] safeguarding the rights of workers in factories that produce apparel and other products bearing our name and logos.”
Porterfield expressed his interest in potentially reviving the contract with Lands’ End and the Consortium in hopes of improving the situation in El Salvador. This strategy proved successful in 2001 when the University suspended its contract with the New Era Cap Company. The contract was later renewed when New Era improved its compliance with the Code of Conduct, proving the effectiveness of the University’s methods.
Thanks to the dedication of the Licensing Oversight Committee members and the University’s cooperation with them and the Worker Rights Consortium, Georgetown has made commendable progress toward realizing its Jesuit ideals and ensuring the socially responsible business practices of its outside contractors.
