The University announced on Friday that it would terminate its business relationship with Russell Athletics due to concerns over labor violations and anti-union practices. While we applaud the decision of the University, the decision is largely due to the efforts of student groups and recent activism. The University should have the responsible foresight to sever ties with violating companies before students rise up in protest.

In October 2007, a Russell Athletics factory in Honduras was closed by the company, largely due to the announced organization of workers into a labor union. While the official closure is slated for March, according to the Cornell Organization for Labor Action, Russell Athletics has a history of intolerance of unions. When negotiating and signing contracts with businesses, Cornell must look into the actions of such companies.

As we have cited in these pages before, the University Code of Legal and Ethical Conduct states, “Even where the law does not apply, applicable standards of ethics and morality relate to our activities and require the same diligence and attention to good conduct and citizenship.”

However, for this code to be enforced, the University must investigate the morality and conduct of a company before they do business. Student groups such as COLA must not be the only organizations on campus to bring labor violations and other ethical issues to the University’s attention. Cornell cannot rely on protests and concerned students to maintain their own business ethics. In order to invest responsibly and maintain relationships with ethical companies, the University must investigate such matters itself.

While in the end Cornell did the right thing by severing ties with Russell Athletics, it was only after a nationwide tour of former Honduras factory workers that the University even considered such an action. The speakers were brought to Cornell by COLA.

The administration has a number of responsibilities and no shortage of tasks to complete. However, when it comes to the ethical standards of the University, Cornell cannot sit back and allow students to bring matters to their attention. Companies with a history of labor violations, as Russell Athletics did, should not be given contracts with the University in the first place. Cornell must use its financial strength to reward ethical companies and avoid doing business with less moral corporations.