When you use the University's licensed manufacturers, you are helping to encourage fair treatment of workers nationally and internationally.

Washington University in St. Louis is affiliated with two important stakeholders in the ongoing conflict between simultaneous consumer demands for fair labor practices and inexpensive products: the FLA and the WRC. Please see below for more information on each organization.

Fair Labor Association (FLA) -- WUSTL has been affiliated with the FLA since 2000, and at that time, WUSTL adopted the FLA "Code of Conduct."   FLA’s Workplace Code of Conduct is based on the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

In-depth information on the FLA: http://www.fairlabor.org

See especially the FLA blog: http://flaglobalaction.blogspot.com/

Explore the FLA's 2007 Annual Report, which offers a wealth of information from nearly 150 unannounced factory inspections conducted by independent auditors during 2006, as well as detailed information on the labor compliance programs of 38 affiliated companies. It also provides a look at several parts of the FLA program, including updates on special projects and the FLA’s new Enhanced Licensee program. Please visit: 2007 Annual Report.

The FLA's mission statement is: "The mission of the FLA is to combine the efforts of industry, civil society organizations, colleges and universities to protect workers' rights and improve working conditions worldwide by promoting adherence to international labor standards."

The FLA has developed auditing, remediation, and capacity-building programs available to the full apparel and footwear industries (as well as university licensees in other fields such as gift items), not just the collegiate market. The FLA facilitates the creation and support of comprehensive corporate responsibility programs, and it has the ability to compare, contrast, and analyze these programs. In order to achieve its aim, the FLA works to include as broad a coalition as possible in support of its goals, including producing companies. The FLA maintains the premise that long-term, lasting change is more likely if companies make an affirmative commitment to the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct and its monitoring principles.

FLA companies are required to engage proactively in code implementation. FLA companies are subject to a third-party complaint system and the FLA's comprehensive external monitoring system, with the number of factories encompassed measuring in the thousands. In 2004, FLA-accredited monitors conducted 94 independent monitoring visits at factories producing for FLA companies in eighteen countries.

Worker Rights Consortium (WRC, http://www.workersrights.org/) -- WUSTL has been affiliated with the WRC since 2005.   From the WRC Web site:

The WRC focuses only on collegiate apparel. WRC does not see any role for the producing companies in its organization. In 2004, WRC staff completed 4 reports on four individual factories in four countries.

The WRC provides an important function in identifying issues and situations where there are serious problems within one segment of a much larger market. The WRC's expertise is characterizing conditions in certain factories at a specific point in time.