Cornell University will maintain its support for a program undertaken by member universities of the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to involve locally-based organizations in monitoring working conditions in apparel factories in third-world countries.

In making the announcement, Cornell President Hunter Rawlings said, "Thanks to the efforts of students at Cornell who, more than two years ago, raised our awareness of the inhumane conditions forced on many workers in the global apparel industry, Cornell has been a leader in the movement to improve working conditions for the people who produce goods that bear the name of our university. We will continue those efforts."

In 1999, Cornell joined with an initial group of 17 colleges and universities in support of the establishment of the FLA, which now has 148 members. Last year, at the urging of student groups at Cornell, particularly the Cornell Students Against Sweatshops (CSAS), the university also joined the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC). Henrik N. Dullea, vice president for university relations, represented Cornell at the WRC founding conference April 7 in New York City.

One of the primary concerns of the FLA, WRC and student groups has been to put in place adequate monitoring of factories to ensure that owners are complying with international standards on labor rights.

More than a year ago, 22 FLA-member universities — including Cornell — contributed $220,000 to develop a training model for non-governmental agencies (NGOs) so that those organizations can aid the FLA in monitoring local factory conditions. The project started in four countries — Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Taiwan — with the aim of using models developed there in other nations, as well. NGOs can include labor, human rights and religious organizations. FLA hired the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF), based in Washington, D.C., to develop the program. The first phase has been completed and the ILRF has prepared a report on its activities.

The report, issued by ILRF director Pharis Harvey, advises that "further work with the university community is needed to ensure that universities and their licensees actually work with these (NGO) groups and that ongoing monitoring programs become a reality in each of the target countries." It adds, "Universities, particularly those affiliated with the FLA, should assist in identification of factories producing licensed goods in each of the target countries. Finally, universities should encourage their retailers to work with trained NGOs in the target countries to establish regular external monitoring programs."

FLA member universities are now planning the continuance of the ILRF project, which will involve continued work in developing training programs in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Taiwan, and possible expansion of the program to Thailand and the Philippines. Cornell has committed its financial support of the project.