How to Affiliate

Model Affiliation Letter

When a college or university decides to affiliate with the WRC, this affiliation is expressed in the form of a letter from the school's President or Chancellor to the WRC. Some schools have used the following suggested text in making their statement of affiliation. Of course, schools are free to use whatever language they deem appropriate. The only criteria are that the letter clearly state the institution's decision to affiliate and its recognition of the three obligations of affiliation: maintaining a manufacturing Code of Conduct, providing the WRC with factory disclosure information and paying affiliation fees.

A model affiliation letter for British universities is available here.

Scott Nova
Worker Rights Consortium
5 Thomas Circle NW, Fifth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
United States of America

Dear Mr. Nova:

I write to notify you that ______________(college/university) is affiliating with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). We understand that the WRC is an effort to collaborate with workers, non-governmental organizations and other colleges and universities to improve the conditions of workers producing collegiate apparel.

We recognize that colleges and universities affiliated with the WRC either have a manufacturing Code of Conduct, or are in the process of adopting a Code, that addresses the following issues: wages, hours of work, overtime compensation, freedom of association, workplace safety and health, compliance with local laws, women's rights, child labor and forced labor, harassment and abuse in the workplace, and non-discrimination. We understand that WRC affiliate colleges and universities are expected to make compliance with this Code of Conduct an element of all applicable contracts with their licensees.

In addition, ______________ (college/ university) understands that upon affiliating with the WRC, colleges and universities that do not already require full public disclosure of factory locations must notify their licensees that this information must be provided within three months. Our school commits to require full, and regularly updated, public disclosure of factory locations, including those of contractors and subcontractors

______________ (college/university) also agrees to pay an annual affiliation fee to the WRC. For a college or university that collects royalties from a licensing program, this fee is 1% of the previous year's gross licensing revenue (with a minimum of $1,500 and a maximum of $50,000). For a college or university that does not collect royalties from a licensing program, there is a flat fee of $1,500.

With these understandings, ______________ (college/ university) hereby affiliates with the Worker Rights Consortium.

We are designating ____________________ as the _________________(college's/university's) primary contact for WRC matters. Please send WRC-related communications to ____________________ at the following e-mail address: ___________________.

Sincerely,

_______________________