A casual jaunt along Bruin Walk is all it takes for any student to realize how dedicated our student body is to social justice causes. That’s why it was no surprise to hear that, after urging from the student body, the Associated Students UCLA decided not to renew its contract with Russell Athletic due to accusations of unfair labor practices.
The choice to find a more socially responsible athletic-gear provider has been met with unanimous support from the UCLA community. While I applaud our school’s decision, UCLA should be conscious of the hypocrisy that it brings to light. In the past, many social justice-related issues have been neglected. For example, our institution has not yet switched to serving only fair trade coffee in its coffee shops, nor has it revised its current arrangement with label royalties in Asia. UCLA is not fully committed to ensuring fair payment to coffee growers abroad who are represented by institutions such as Kerckhoff Coffeehouse, and it is disinterested in the rights of the workers who produce gear subcontracted to factories in Asia that fuel thousands of dollars in royalties each year.
Our institution appears to be randomly picking its battles rather than gauging the relative complexity of each situation before it enacts change. The student store in Ackerman Union prominently displays Russell Athletic as an obvious representation of our university. Since the allegations about Russell Athletic were so apparent, UCLA was obligated to act. Though other issues many not be as obvious, UCLA cannot make excuses for its lack of action concerning other social justice causes. Fair trade coffee should not be thought of as a tiny detail overlooked by coffeehouse patrons, but instead as a pressing social injustice. Unfair labor practices should be scrutinized, even if the wearers of clothing embossed with the UCLA name in China will not scrutinize the university’s involvement.
Obviously, our school’s involvement in a great number of social issues is limited. The goods we consume ultimately connect us to global inequities, and UCLA should maintain a high standard for issues as obvious and simple as the provider of our athletic wear. This standard should extend to other issues that can be easily addressed, such as fair trade coffee and royalties abroad.
All other human rights issues deserve just as much scrutiny as this specific issue.
When it comes to the UCLA brand or entities that represent our school’s name, the university should exercise caution and care. But it may be asking too much to expect UCLA to be accountable to the practices of on-campus restaurants or other companies.
Though company names such as Bank of America and Wetzel’s Pretzels occupy space on campus, UCLA should not be held responsible for those companies’ practices. The recent addition of Carl’s Jr. in the Cooperage is one instance in which UCLA could have stepped in and suggested that this would be disadvantageous to the school’s reputation of providing healthy, employee-friendly restaurant options.
Unfortunately, many feel it is not a university administration’s role to mandate how students eat. This is a fine line UCLA will have to navigate in the future when deciding what stance it should take on the corporations it represents.
The termination of the contract with Russell Athletic could have negative consequences ““ a more expensive contract with a more socially responsible corporation and increased prices for our favorite BearWear. I doubt ASUCLA wants to sacrifice quality or price, but no one can predict the terms of the next agreement. Despite these potential problems, this is a cause worth fighting for.
“I think that as such a large institution, we have a duty to set an example to other smaller companies. I’m proud of UCLA for taking a stand for what’s right, even though it might not financially be the best choice,” said third-year biochemistry student Beth Lancaster.
In the future, UCLA might consider other venues in which its brand is represented and new ways to promote fair labor practices, keeping the expectations reasonable and considering student support when enacting change.
E-mail Mier at smier@media.ucla.edu.