The Daily Collegian PSU supports workers’ rights efforts at Knights By Mlcah Wlntner COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The minimum wage required by law in the Dominican Republic is $l4O per month, but Knights Apparel pays its workers $5OO per month. Knights Apparel, which makes it a goal to pay its workers a living wage, has set up a factory in Villa Altagracia, a village in the Dominican Republic, Knights Apparel CEO Joe Bozich said in a teleconference. “I think the thing that really makes Alta Gracia different is the wages and the benefits,” Bozich said. “This can truly be a pathway out of poverty.” Apparel made in the factory is sold under the Alta Gracia brand, named after the town. Knights Apparel is licensed to produce Penn State merchandise and the Alta Gracia brand is avail able in the Penn State Bookstore, Penn State Office of Licensing Programs official Robin Spicer wrote in an e-mail. WHERE CAN YOU GET: pizza steak fried rice mac ‘rT cheese and fried chicken all at once? The Paper Plate Dining Guide POWERED BY STATECOLLEGE. COM Order Onhne! Bonus Question you’rereally hungrynow aren’t you? yeah, we thought so. “We have an obligation to use our business to do more than what is required of us in terms of corporate responsibility.” Penn State President Graham Spanier issued a statement in 2009 describing Knights Apparel's ini tiative to improve workers’ rights as a “unique and special opportu nity that combines good business practices with humanitarian out reach.” Penn State is committed to pro moting the sales of Knights Apparel products, Spanier said in the statement Theresa Haas, communications director for the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), said the WRC considers Alta Gracia “an impor tant step forward in worker’s rights.” The WRC is an independent labor rights organization that con ducts investigations at collegiate Action Ahmad sg*S2*S£^s!'» 0::=$ J;;W ' SSmSIm mmm Jfl w Jawad Ahmad doesn’t wait for success to find him. Every day, he’s showing the world what he’s made of. Every day, he’s feeding his life, his career and his future. Feed your future at www.pwc.tv G 2940 PricaWeterhoiflieCoopers LIP. All rights reserved. 'PricewaterhouseCoopers” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a Delaware limited liability partnership) or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity. We are proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. LOCAL Joe Bozich CEO of Knights Apparel apparel factories, Haas said. Alta Gracia products cany a tag showing that the WRC designed the labor standards for the factory where the products were pro duced, she said. The Alta Gracia project is risky because Knights Apparel pays its employees three times more than what competitors like Nike and Adidas pay, Bozich said. Still, his company’s venture can still be profitable depending on consumer response, he said. The factory in Alta Gracia cur rently employs about 125 workers, Knights Apparel Chief Operating Officer and President Donnie Hodge said in the teleconference. Because so many locals wanted to work at the plant, the hiring Courtesy of Alta Gracia A woman works at Alta Gracia, a factory in the Dominican Republic run by Knights Apparel, which produces some Penn State products. process wasn’t easy, he said. Bozich said helping families Hodge said Knights Apparel through his company’s factory is engaged the help of an outside the most rewarding thing he’s company and the WRC to help done in his 23 years in the indus make the hiring process as trans- try. parent as possible. “We have an obligation to use Potential employees were put our business to do more than what through a series of tests and a is required of us in terms of corpo questionnaire until the company rate responsibility,” he said approved a final list of employees, he said Thursday, Sept. 2,2010 I 5 To e-mail reporter: maws43B@psu.edu
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