School spirit is something that we Tigers take very seriously. Anyone will tell you that it’s an LSU staple to wear the gameday T-shirt or the purple and gold sweatshirt. What you may not know is that logo wear in your closet is likely one of thousands that a single worker in Honduras is paid the equivalent of $45 weekly to produce.Russell Athletics is one of the most recognized names in college logo active-wear. Until very recently, however, factories owned by Russell have gone unchecked in a slew of unfair work practices including, but not limited to, work days spanning well over 12 hours, unfair wages and punishing worker’s attempts at unionization.Last year, Russell shut down a Jerzees factory in Honduras that employed over 1,200 people in alleged retaliation to union activity. Known union organizers were also blacklisted, making any other employment in the area impossible. For nearly a year, these people had literally nowhere to go — that is, until last week. Because of increasing public pressure on Russell Athletics, the Jerzees factory in Honduras was reopened and the workers were rehired.Now, this may sound like a done deal. Like there’s nothing else that you, a student in southern Louisiana, need to worry about. Nothing could be further from the truth.For the last decade, LSU has maintained a contract with the Worker’s Rights Consortium. The WRC is a third-party watchdog organization that, through the support of over 180 North American colleges, oversees company factories and ensures that basic worker’s rights are respected. Any university interested in membership can join with only a small fee (1 percent of its licensing profits or $50,000, whichever is less) and an annually renewed contract with the WRC. This year, LSU decided to terminate such a contract, one that it has upheld for 10 years. By this act, LSU is virtually washing its hands of any workplace abuses taking place in factories that turn out LSU merchandise.And that is where concerned students like you and me step in. School spirit means nothing if it completely ignores basic human rights such as a livable wage, decent working hours and conditions, and the freedom to unionize. It is up to us to let LSU know that we care where our clothes come from, and we have the power to make sure LSU maintains its contract with the WRC. That way we can be assured the LSU licensing department is doing everything in its power to support fair work practices in factories that churn out LSU apparel.Joan Broussardbiological sciences freshman—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]