ASUCLA to make Alta Gracia apparel purchase
By Gordon Murray
March 3, 2011 2:41 a.m.
Following a student demonstration demanding ethically manufactured clothing, Associated Students UCLA pledged to order $70,000 of apparel from Alta Gracia, a manufacturer that follows fair labor standards.
ASUCLA made a $16,000 test purchase of Alta Gracia clothing last year. Earlier this month, student groups met with ASUCLA officials to seek a $250,000 purchase of the company’s apparel.
Student groups sought to promote the company’s business practices because it treats workers fairly in comparison to the traditional sweatshop model.
Located in the Dominican Republic town of Villa Altagracia, the company stands out by employing unionized workers. The company pays its workers more than triple the minimum wage in an area of the country hit hard by economic depression.
After the test purchase, Alta Gracia had proposed a purchase of $47,000, but ASUCLA wanted to prepare for a high volume of sales.
ASUCLA instead pledged $70,000 on Friday, with further purchases totaling a projected $150,000 for the fiscal year, Executive Director Bob Williams said.
Jessica Rutter, one of the student group leaders and a law student, said the movement to push ASUCLA to buy Alta Gracia products coordinated with a larger campaign with United Students Against Sweatshops across 30 different schools.
Rutter said she represents a coalition comprised of the National Lawyers Guild, UAW Local 2865 and the UCLA Graduate Student Association, which pushed ASUCLA to match Duke University’s initial order for Alta Gracia apparel, which totaled $250,000.
Rutter said she was pleased with the ASUCLA purchase, which she said was a great improvement from the $16,000 test purchase she saw as largely symbolic.
“It looks like ASUCLA staff has really stepped up and have tried to make a difference,” Rutter said, although she still urged ASUCLA to increase its order to match Duke’s initial purchase.
Another reason for a larger purchase has been the desire to display Alta Gracia products in two areas of the ASUCLA store, Williams said.
In a rare move to further promote the Alta Gracia brand, ASUCLA will put up company displays in the store and online, said Patrick Healey, ASUCLA apparel and accessories director.
Williams said he looks forward to building Alta Gracia into a successful brand on campus.
“Since social responsibility is one of our core values, we are very aware of the conditions in which the product is made and what operations are in place,” he said. “It’s a good example for others, and we want to do our best to support them.”
