Wisconsin Drops Russell Apparel Contract

The University of Wisconsin dropped a contract with apparel manufacturer Russell Athletic after some criticized the company's alleged antiunion labor practices in Honduras, the Daily Badger reports. Although there was no conclusive evidence that a Russell plant in Honduras had been shut down because of unionizing efforts, Wisconsin officials said that too many "unanswered questions" remained about the situation, prompting the school to allow its apparel contract to expire. "Freedom of association is something that we take very seriously," said a Wisconsin spokeswoman. "It's part of our expectations of our business relationships."