Despite allegations that the company had violated health and safety standards and participated in anti-union actions, Students for Progressive Education and Action says the University has made no effort to cancel their contract with New Era Cap Company. The contract allowed the company to use the University logo on their merchandise.
Several universities including Georgetown, Duke and the University of Wisconsin, have suspended their contracts with New Era because of allegations of worker mistreatment.
In the spring of 1999, the University joined the Fair Labor Association, which monitors companies to ensure that they meet a set of standards. Those standards include not using forced or child labor, not discriminating against workers, providing a safe working environment and being pro-union.
All companies contracted with the University are required to publicly disclose the locations of the factories where its merchandise is made and to join the FLA.
New Era sought to join, but its application remains under scrutiny because of concerns about its labor practices.
New Era then terminated its contract with the University on Dec. 31 for undisclosed reasons.
"I guess they weren't selling enough product to make it worth their while," said Robert Durkee, vice president for public affairs and member of the FLA board of directors.
Most hats worn on campus were not made by New Era. In the five years that Jim Sykes has been president of the U-Store, the hats have not been sold, he said.
Apparel department senior buyer David Antis, who has been working at the U-Store for 18 years, said the caps have not been sold in the U-Store in the last 10 years.
New Era has been allowed to continue selling existing merchandise for three months after the termination of the contract. But on the New Era website, users can still buy Princeton baseball caps with the University logo.
SPEAC first became aware of New Era's alleged mistreatment of its workers in late January 2001.
The group ran a letter in protest in The Daily Princetonian on Feb. 11. They also wrote to Durkee, President Tilghman and Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson.
"We were disappointed that despite troubles in the last nine months, the University turned a blind eye," said Vincent Lloyd '03, a member of SPEAC.
The group has urged the University to join the Workers Rights Consortium, a group to which nearly 90 other campuses belong.
"The FLA isn't doing an effective job of looking in the problem," Lloyd said.
SPEAC emphasized that the FLA lets companies be self-monitoring while the WRC has more external monitoring procedures.
"Workers' labor conditions tend to be better [under the WRC]" said Julia Salzman '02, a member of SPEAC.
The University has considered joining the WRC several times, discussing the issue in the Resources Committee, Durkee said. However, the committee has advised that joining would not change University policies.
"Rather than diluting our effort, it is more important to focus attention on making the FLA better," Durkee said.
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