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American University has been affiliated with
the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker
Rights Consortium (WRC) since November 2000,
in an effort to take a socially responsible stand
on sweatshops and child labor. Both organizations
collaborate with workers, non-governmental organizations,
and other colleges and universities to improve
the conditions of workers producing collegiate
apparel by using the leverage of licensing agreements.
AU’s affiliations with the FLA and WRC
require the university’s licensees and/or
sourcing companies to meet a code of conduct
that is consistent with FLA and WRC codes. The
codes include provisions for a living wage; the
right to organize and to collective bargaining;
protection of workers’ health and safety;
compliance with local laws; protection of women’s
rights; and prohibition of child labor, forced
labor, and forced overtime.
AU also asks its licensees to provide full public
disclosure of factory locations and conditions
of all facilities, including those that are run
by contractors and subcontractors. This includes
disclosure of all objective measures of working
conditions covered by the code at the facilities,
such as wage levels, benefits provided, scheduled
and average work hours, policies, and citations.
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