Sweat-free movement

By Editorial

According to last week's issue, Santa Clara has agreed "in principle" to a movement that would mandate that all campus logo apparel be produced through sweat-free manufacturing.

This is a step in the right direction for a Jesuit university dedicated to social justice and universal human rights. (If only universal fair-trade coffee would fall in step.)

While students have been pushing for workers' rights here on campus, it's energizing to see that the office of the university president is supporting our struggle on a higher level. And if we do indeed adopt the sweat-free principle, we'll be one of the first, placing Santa Clara at the forefront of the college sweat-free movement. Student activists would be pleased, the university would gain more visibility for global social awareness, and United Students Against Sweatshops campus representative Amy Chan could know that her advocacy has finally paid off.

Jim Briggs, the executive assistant to University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., stated that "a number of questions need to be answered and additional discussions are needed" before the university actually implements the plan. Whatever those questions may be, this page hopes the university takes this opportunity to become a leader in the movement for sweat-free apparel on campus.

That way, students can display their school logo with a clean conscience, knowing that the production of their sweatshirt or shorts did not contribute to the dire poverty of nations where most textiles are manufactured.

Granted, prices for logo apparel might rise slightly above the current cost. Not everyone here has obscene amounts of money, but we're sure that a majority of students on campus wouldn't mind spending an extra dollar for a Santa Clara T-shirt if it meant granting factory workers basic rights.

So let's do it, Fr. Locatelli. Sign that agreement and make Santa Clara one of the first sweat-free universities in the nation.