(MADISON) Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison vow to check out alleged worker rights abuses at an apparel factory in El Salvador. Although the Adidas subcontractor shut down in 2005, reports persist of corruption and mismanagement that took place while the factory made uniforms and athletic gear for the University.
Complaints filed through the Workers Rights Consortium say when Hermosa Manufacturing closed, 260 employees were dismissed without receiving $285,000 in back pay or severance packages. Also, nearly 60 unionized workers were allegedly blacklisted, keeping them from finding jobs at a neighboring plant.
Currently the UW-Madisonâ??s contract with Adidas, which generates more than $1 million annually, lasts through 2011.