Business & Economy

Syracuse University Affiliated with Award-Winning Fair Labor Groups

Tuesday, July 6, 2021, By Matt Michael

Syracuse University is a longtime affiliate of the Fair Labor Association, which has been nominated for a 2021 Classy Award that will be announced in September.

The Classy Awards honor the world’s most innovative nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. The Fair Labor Association is one of 50 finalists in the People’s Choice award category.

Rachel Duffy

Rachel Duffy, director of trademark licensing at Syracuse University

Rachel Duffy, director of trademark licensing at Syracuse University, serves as the University’s liaison to the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). Duffy, who also serves on the monitoring committee of the FLA and is a member of the WRC Board of Directors, works closely with these organizations to ensure that products licensed by the University are made by workers who are fairly treated and compensated.

“As active members of these important organizations, Syracuse University will continue to lead our peers in the space of human rights and supply chain oversight,” Duffy says.

Duffy also represents all university affiliates on the FLA’s Fair Compensation Working Group. In addition to the Classy Awards nomination, the Fair Compensation Working Group has recently received the following recognition:

  • Global GoodAwards: The FLA’s Fair Compensation program is nominated for two awards (Technology for Good and Special Judges Award for Innovation). The winners will be announced Sept. 22.
  • United Nations Global Compact: UNGC recently launched its living wage microsite, which provides a comprehensive overview on what organizations and companies are doing to ensure workers receive living wages. FLA is highlighted on the site and UNGC included FLA living wage analysis for Bangladesh and Vietnam in its reporting.

“This office is proud to bring such recognition to Syracuse University,” Duffy says. “We’ll continue to represent our students, alumni and fans in a way that represents the University’s vision and mission as a preeminent university leading in the space of protecting our licensing supply chain and workers’ rights.”