Viewing all content: Factory Investigation
WRC affiliate universities have continued to engage with Nike on this case. However, Nike’s position remains unchanged. It continues to ignore overwhelming evidence of worker coercion reported by the WRC, asserting that thousands of workers at Hong Seng voluntarily chose to forgo wages that they were legally owed. In support of its position, Nike cites an audit it commissioned from a for-profit contract monitoring firm, Elevate, but Nike refuses…
Read MoreApril 23, 2025 Dear Colleagues, We had a great day of presentations and discussions at the WRC Annual Meeting yesterday. The presentation materials from the meeting, redacted to remove confidential information and information that could create security risks, are now available online as well. We would also like to share with you videos that were presented…
Read MoreTo: WRC Affiliate Universities and Colleges From: Scott Nova Date: April 21, 2025 Re: WRC Update: Nike Remediation Plan for Hong Seng Workers I want to provide you with the WRC’s assessment of Nike’s current remediation plan for Hong Seng Knitting in Thailand: As always, please let us know if you have questions or would like to…
Read MoreApril 21, 2025 Dear Colleagues, We are looking forward to our annual meeting tomorrow! We wanted to let you know that this is the last chance to register to join us remotely. Since we know not everyone can make the trip to DC, we have a Zoom participation option, and would welcome you to join…
Read MoreBase Textiles ceased operations without paying employees $325,000 in legally required wages, severance, and other benefits. The WRC’s investigation found that factory management stopped paying workers their wages on time and then unlawfully pressured workers to resign, so it could avoid paying them legally mandated severance after the factory closed. After the WRC communicated our…
Read MoreFollowing the closure of Haiti Premier Apparel in April 2023, the factory owners were unable to meet 100% of their legally required severance obligations to workers. The factory reported that, at the time of the closure, its customers Cintas and Superior Uniform Group both made contributions for workers’ severance. Additional severance funds were covered by…
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Tariff Turmoil: Will Fashion Brands Step Up or Will They Step on Workers?
Whether or not there are further tariff increases on apparel and footwear beyond the additional 10% across-the-board rate and the 145% rate on China currently in effect, a vital question for garment workers is whether international brands will act responsibly or push the cost of higher tariffs onto the shoulders of suppliers and workers, who…
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