University of Michigan protesters see Adidas as villain
Tell Adidas to pay up or drop your contract with them all together— That's the message from a group of students protesting the University of Michigan's sponsorship rights and license agreements with one of the nation's top athletic apparel manufacturers.
The U-M protesters —a contingent of United Students Against Sweatshops— say the abrupt shut down of an Indonesian Adidas factory in April 2011 and failure to compensate its workers there violated Adidas' contract with the university, which requires that all workers be compensated, the Michigan Daily reported. USAS told the Daily that Adidas pocketed another $1.8 million by ignoring severance payments for many of its employees.
“(Adidas) acknowledged that the workers have not received $1.8 million, but believes it is the factories' responsibility,” U-M junior and USAS member Tessa Fast told the Daily during a protest Thursday at the Fleming Administration Building.
The Daily reported that the U-M's human rights committee is trying to develop a strategy with Adidas to compensate the unpaid workers.
Read the full Daily article here.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
motorcycleminer
Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
Nice to see all these students learning valuable life skills ...hopefully when they graduate Acorn will be hiring.....
Commoncents
Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 10:34 p.m.
This comment is awesome.
Mick52
Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 1:01 a.m.
I don't buy Michigan stuff with the Adidas label. Not because of this, but because Adidas puts its logo front and center, not off to the side like other companies. Just sticks in my craw somehow. In re to this issue, I side somewhat with a2roots below. Bad job may be better than no job.
Dcam
Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 1:29 p.m.
By the logo placement, it's apparent that Adidas wants it to stick in your craw - at least over it.
Dog Guy
Fri, Apr 13, 2012 : 7:06 p.m.
USAS (You sass) reminds me of Al Capp's "Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything".
Commoncents
Fri, Apr 13, 2012 : 4:21 p.m.
Who has the time to protest all this stuff ? Get some jobs fellas. Or at least experience the real world for a while before thinking you know it all. It's college - drink some beers and enjoy the life of no responsibility while you can!
a2roots
Fri, Apr 13, 2012 : 3:43 p.m.
Just wondering if buying a brand made in a sweat shop that is providing jobs to people that would otherwise have no job at all is a bad thing. Where would these people work if they did not work in these shoe factories? My guess is some other sweat shop or not at all. It is a dirty dance but the world economy is what it is.
Mick52
Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 12:59 a.m.
Excellent point A2roots, one that is commonly not thought of. They call them sweat shops but what are they doing if not working for something? It seems it is easy to label a factory a sweat shop, but I cannot recall ever seeing any documentation of such. With the extravagant riches of the UM I see no reason they cannot check out manufacturing by companies they contract with.
Ron Granger
Fri, Apr 13, 2012 : 3:32 p.m.
I'll never, ever buy Nike or Adidas. New Balance is the only athletic shoe that is still made in the US. Not all of their shoes are, but the info is available, and you have a choice. It's also interesting that New Balance manages to make their shoes in the US and their prices aren't any higher than Nike. The difference is that Nike pockets it as profits.
Jimmy McNulty
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 11:37 a.m.
That's interesting Ron, I did not know that. I guess Brooks too are no longer made in the US? Good info, thanks.
Dcam
Fri, Apr 13, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.
Maybe the UM should offer a protesting degree, followed by masters and doctoral programs, they'd never be short of applicants.