Alta Gracia: A New Business Model That Respects Workers’ Rights: The fruit of more than a decade of collaborations between workers in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic, and student in the US with United Students Against Sweatshops, Alta Gracia Apparel is an historic breakthrough for workers’ rights in the collegiate garment industry (www.altagraciaapparel.com). Pioneering union-made living-wage college logo t-shirts and sweatshirts at over 400 colleges and universities across the United States, leading apparel company Knights Apparel launched this revolutionary new business model in 2010 after seeking the input of several separate, independent organizations: the Sitralpro union in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic, the Workers’ Rights Consortium, and United Students Against Sweatshops, among others. This New York Times article is a great overview: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/business/global/18shirt.html Living wage: Alta Gracia eclipses industry norms by paying a “living wage” - more than three and a half times the Dominican minimum wage - that enables its workers to provide their families with a pathway out of poverty. Based on a Workers Rights Consortium cost of living study, (http://workersrights.org/linkeddocs/WRC%20Living%20Wage%20Analysis%20for%20the%20Dominican%20Republic.pdf.2010) this wage allows for workers to provide nutritional food, decent housing, adequate health care, transportation, and education for themselves and their children with dignity and peace of mind. This video shows the impact of living wages in union-leader Martiza Vargas’ family - http://www.channelone.com/video/%22living-wage%22-clothing-factory/#ooid=8yOThiMjr0Zu_O3QAWCLeKYNP0wy7a0e Union Made: Recognizing that organized workers are the best check on management and a time-tested way to ensure a fair and healthy workplace, Alta Gracia embraces its factory union, the Sitralpro union, which has been organizing in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic in various settings for more than a decade. Independently Monitored by Labor Rights Watchdog Workers Rights Consortium: In a step no other company has taken, Alta Gracia opens its doors to regular monitoring by independent labor rights watchdog Worker's Rights Consortium (www.workersrights.org) with which over 180 American colleges and universities are affiliated. The WRC has over a decade of experience monitoring the supply chains of all apparel brands to which universities sell the rights of use of their logo for compliance with Codes of Conduct. WRC visits Alta Gracia’s factory frequently and has unrestricted access to speak with workers and look at the books. This is why every item of Alta Gracia clothing sold in college bookstores carries a WRC verification tag confirming that Alta Gracia pays its workers a living wage and respects its workers’ right to have a union. The OU Bookstore carries a small amount of Alta Gracia, which could easily be increased because there is already a contract in place with Alta Gracia. We want our university to be associated with sweatshop-free apparel that we can be proud of. Furthermore, our support of this cause shows corporations in the apparel industry as a whole that it is profitable to give workers a living wage. If your student group stands in solidarity with this movement sign as the group name.