BOTH PENN STATE AND MICHIGAN DROP RUSSELL ATHLETIC

Both Penn State and Michigan have decided to end relationships with Russell Athletic after anti-sweatshops student groups held protests against the athletic manufacturers on their campuses.According to a Penn State spokesperson, the school evaluates its relationship with Russell on a yearly basis. “In the review, we decided to terminate the contract,” she said. “Russell Athletics is no longer authorized to manufacture and sell licensed products for Penn State.”According to a report by the Centre Daily Times, Penn State put Russell on notice after it learned that the company was engaged in anti-labor practices. Those included shutting down a plant in Honduras that employed 1,800 people, who had recently begun the process of unionization.The University of Michigan also decided to drop Russell after a letter sent to U-M president Mary Sue Coleman from an advisory board alerted her of the unfair labor practices. According to a university spokesman at Michigan, the university has a code of conduct for all of its licensees that includes adhering to fair labor practices.