Bang For Your Buck

            Gene Swanson, co faculty adviser to SAC gets all of the t-shirts for SAC sponsored activities from his contact Steve Johnson at the company Simply Thankful. In an interview with Gene Swanson, Nick Cohen and I inquired on the reasons for choosing the company for our SPA apparel.  Gene Swanson’s reasons behind choosing what company and what specific article of clothing follow the motto “whatever gives us the cheapest and best quality t-shirt”. Ethical implications take a back burner in favor of whatever company has what product they want. Quality, cost and color are the key reasons for picking a t-shirt. When SAC has a design in mind with a specific color t-shirt, that takes precedence over where the product was made. Gene kept reiterating that he “ Doesn't think about what parts of the world [the product comes from]…. Just keeping the price down”. Price and quality of product are the key concerns from not only Gene Swanson, SAC, SPA but the average buyer.
            Last years’ Battle of the Band t-shirts came from the company Gildan, the same company that made this years’ junior class’ senior t-shirt. Gene Swanson also recalls using the company Fruit of The Loom for past t-shirts. When looking at the tag of last years’ bright blue battle shirts sporting a Pikachu on them he stated they were made in Haiti, followed by the statement, “I don’t know what that mean—if that is good or bad or what”. This statement reflects the average buyer who may even know where their products come from, but have no idea what this information means.
(Gildan Logo)            According to democratic underground, Gildan plans to close assembly plants in Honduras and relocate them to Haiti and Nicaragua. Zcommunications.org comments on interviews with Gildans workers, interviews which portray the working conditions and Gildan in a bad light.
            Usas.org  comments that fruit of the loom has been trying to become more ethical seen 2009. Apparently up until three years ago Fruit of the Loom did not recognize it’s union factory workers and has since pledged to start recognizing them. Usas.org states, “While other companies have insisted it’s simply not possible or too complicated to respect workers’ rights in the global apparel industry, Fruit of the Loom’s model in Honduras proves that profit doesn’t have to come at the expense of sweatshop abuse and repressing workers’ right to unionize”.  Usas.org shows states other companies who have workers in Honduras who are not following Fruit of the Loom’s model, among these companies is Gildan.
            Many costumers including the SPA community and SAC made decisions on apparel by price and quality. Some companies like Fruit of the Loom are trying to change their ways and provide cheap and good quality clothes without giving up humane working conditions. In the future, SPA should consider turning to these companies that are more ethical while still good quality and inexpensive to provide the t-shirts for our various SPA sponsored events.