Two-and-a-half years ago, under pressure from students - primarily from Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality, the University administration signed on to be a part of the Worker's Rights Consortium, a non-profit organization created to oversee a manufacturing code of conduct used by universities to ensure respect for basic workers' rights in the collegiate apparel industry. The implementation of the code of conduct enforced by investigations from the WRC, led to improved working conditions in a Nike factory in Mexico as well as in the New Era hat factory in New York last year.

The guidelines in the code should be applied to all of the University's business dealings, but unfortunately that is not always the case. In particular, the Business School's choice of Morgan Linen Services to do laundry for the executive residence marks a failure to abide by the spirit of the WRC and could be remedied with a prompt and strong letter from Executive residence manager John Ryan and manager in the purchasing department, Louis Green.

Since March, employees for Morgan at their Toledo facility, represented by the Union of Needletrades Industrial and Textile Employees have been in contract negotiations with management. They have been working without a contract for the past six months.

The two main issues under negotiation are health insurance cost containment and pay increases. Workers at Morgan Linen Services are currently paid in the area of $7.45 to $8.00 an hour and the health insurance premiums cost about $35 a week. Many workers cannot carry the medical insurance because it is too expensive. The management has also proposed removing all seniority rights, so that employees who have worked the longest could get laid off first and never recalled.

Throughout the duration of the negotiations, Morgan's Toledo management has made clear that they have no intention of bargaining in good faith, with tactics allegedly ranging from physical intimidation to attempts to decertify the union. Last August, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Morgan for unfair labor practices. Ironically, other Morgan facilities around the country have been more inclined to negotiate reasonable contracts - in Boston workers got a raise and a package including paid sick days, affordable health insurance and a $350 Christmas bonus.

The guidelines laid out in the WRC and the University's code of conduct apply specifically to apparel contracts, but that does not prohibit the University's administration from applying the same standards to companies like Morgan. When SOLE organized students to get the University signed on to the WRC, it is doubtful that the intention was for the University's labor oversight to be strictly limited to apparel contracts. Indeed, the University should demand proper labor practices from everyone it does business with. Students have an opportunity to shape the University's business practices and Ryan and Green have an obligation to publicly show support for a fair contract and ethical business practices.