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Alleged Sweatshop Linked to OSU Goods

By 11W Staff - 17 October 2011
17 Comments

This story is dirty on all sides. Rights organizations have also recovered emails from OSU licensing director Rick Van Brimmer in which a sweetheart deal, bypassing other bids for apparel was in place. (Dispatch)

Source dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/10/15/alleged-sweatshop-lin...

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Comments

Mike on 17 Oct 2011 - 12:37pm #

Making money off the backs of free/low wage labor...that doesn't sound like something OSU or the NCAA would do (/sarcasm).

Just more bad decisions and bad PR under Gene Smith...

Go Bucks!

www.evanchanmarketing.com

Maestro on 17 Oct 2011 - 12:48pm #

Just fantastic

vacuuming sucks

William on 17 Oct 2011 - 12:51pm #

So now the list of those that should justifiably lose their jobs grows, Smith, Archie and now Van Brimmer. This is just unacceptable.

Baroclinicity on 17 Oct 2011 - 2:02pm #

The bad news has to end at some point.

Kalamazoo Steve on 17 Oct 2011 - 3:15pm #

So what makes this any different than all the other product imported into this country? It's cheaper for me to put the product I sell on a boat month's away than it is to put the product on a truck from Iowa. The only way that works is that someone overseas is getting screwed. And no one says boo until the situation can bring them some pub like the Cowboys, Puffy, etc..

William on 17 Oct 2011 - 4:00pm #

Its a just a little unethical to accept a contract from a firm that is operating a sweatshop. I'd pay more to buy a good or service made from a factory/firm operating under safe and ethical standards.

Kalamazoo Steve on 17 Oct 2011 - 4:22pm #

It's more than a little unethical, but it happens everyday. Welcome to the wonderful world of moving our production/manufacturing to other countries. There is almost no way of knowing who is practicing safe / ethical standards and who isn't. Stockholders rule the roost, and the best margins win out everytime. Very sad.

Optimistic Buck... on 17 Oct 2011 - 4:29pm #

I'd be more interested to see who's funding these investigations. More than likely, you're going to see some big money rolling in from companies who can't compete with the pricing, call them special interest groups. Whatever, Mugatu.

Jason Staff on 17 Oct 2011 - 3:24pm #

Here's an email from Van Brimmer to the folks at Cowboys Merchandising. It doesn't come out and say "sweetheart", but it's pretty close.

http://usas.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2011/09/Van-Brimmer-Priakos-exchange-Nov-17-2010.pdf

It's at odds with what Van Brimmer told the Dispatch earlier in the summer:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/06/02/osu-warned-on-apparel-licensing.html

Finally, here's a New York Times story from last month:

http://usas.org/2011/09/24/new-york-times-usasers-take-on-jerry-jones-the-cowboys/

No, we're not still bitter that OSU killed The Buckeye Battle Cry preseason annual, at all, really.

BucksfanXC on 17 Oct 2011 - 3:31pm #

Isn't it silly that they would even have to "bid" to get the job. I mean, clearly we know how to handle these tricky business issues and red tape. Don't worry about a thing, wink wink.

“Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.” - Woody

RBuck Mod on 17 Oct 2011 - 4:10pm #

Another black eye. But I really don't give a shit as long as it's not a NCAA violation.

"It's just another case of there you are". ~ Doc (1918-2012)

BoFuquel on 17 Oct 2011 - 4:39pm #

Pppsssttt.Hey Buddy wanna buy a Rolex?

I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then.

Poe McKnoe on 17 Oct 2011 - 8:07pm #

F*cking emails.

jenks on 17 Oct 2011 - 11:09pm #

Agreed.

If we're going to do things Woody's way, we might as go all in... pencils and paper for everyone!

Defend Youngstown on 18 Oct 2011 - 8:04am #

The athletic department needs to institute a new policy that all offical business will now be conducted through pay phones and burners.

Kyle on 18 Oct 2011 - 2:14pm #

Its unethical but hardly unprecedented. Apple and Nike (Nike repeatedly) have been accused of using suppliers deemed sweatshops before. If people are outraged then don't buy those products. That's the only way companies change behavior, same for OSU.

btalbert25 on 18 Oct 2011 - 2:32pm #

I'm guessing if you look at anything that says made in China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Phillipines etc, there have been made by exploited workers of some sort. I don't know what the exact criteria is to be considered a sweatshop, but I'm sure any of these places have non organized labor, that is working way too long for way too little and are probably way too young as well. Probably the footballs being used in the games are made by some kid somewhere.