New Era and union agree to labor deal
UNC had called for factory review
By: Ben Baden, Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: University
New Era Cap, a hat company that manufactures UNC apparel, agreed last week to a three-year contract that aims to alleviate labor abuse concerns.
According to a letter sent to Chancellor James Moeser on Thursday, New Era and the Teamsters Union came to an agreement that provides for increased wages and benefits for workers in New Era's Mobile, Ala., factory.
Protesters voiced concerns in recent months with New Era's unwillingness to allow the Worker Rights Consortium, which investigates claims of labor violations, access to the factory.
The company has come under fire from UNC twice in the past seven years.
In January students from 15 universities traveled to a factory in Mobile to protest New Era's labor practices.
On Feb. 7, Chancellor James Moeser sent a letter to New Era recommending that another group - A&L Group Inc., a monitoring group accredited by the Fair Labor Association - be granted access to the factory the week of March 10.
In the Thursday letter, New Era asked Moeser to withdraw his request for an independent review.
"We are really happy they won that victory, but we are still very disappointed with the chancellor's letter," said Salma Mirza, organizer for UNC's chapter of Student Action with Workers.
SAW protested the chancellor's letter because it didn't directly follow UNC's labor licensing committee's recommendations.
The group said that Moeser was too lenient because he failed to request the organization be allowed to monitor the factory until March and that his language was not adequately stringent.
SAW also had protested Moeser's letter because Timothy Freer, the vice president of global human resources at New Era Cap, is on the board of directors for FLA. SAW members said that poses a possible conflict of interest because Freer is involved with a company that is assessing another company he works with.
The labor licensing committee will meet again at 5 p.m. today in the Student Union, Room 3515.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
According to a letter sent to Chancellor James Moeser on Thursday, New Era and the Teamsters Union came to an agreement that provides for increased wages and benefits for workers in New Era's Mobile, Ala., factory.
Protesters voiced concerns in recent months with New Era's unwillingness to allow the Worker Rights Consortium, which investigates claims of labor violations, access to the factory.
The company has come under fire from UNC twice in the past seven years.
In January students from 15 universities traveled to a factory in Mobile to protest New Era's labor practices.
On Feb. 7, Chancellor James Moeser sent a letter to New Era recommending that another group - A&L Group Inc., a monitoring group accredited by the Fair Labor Association - be granted access to the factory the week of March 10.
In the Thursday letter, New Era asked Moeser to withdraw his request for an independent review.
"We are really happy they won that victory, but we are still very disappointed with the chancellor's letter," said Salma Mirza, organizer for UNC's chapter of Student Action with Workers.
SAW protested the chancellor's letter because it didn't directly follow UNC's labor licensing committee's recommendations.
The group said that Moeser was too lenient because he failed to request the organization be allowed to monitor the factory until March and that his language was not adequately stringent.
SAW also had protested Moeser's letter because Timothy Freer, the vice president of global human resources at New Era Cap, is on the board of directors for FLA. SAW members said that poses a possible conflict of interest because Freer is involved with a company that is assessing another company he works with.
The labor licensing committee will meet again at 5 p.m. today in the Student Union, Room 3515.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
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