Under Armour

Ethan Orrey

Hr-2

Under Armour Controversy

You see their clothes everywhere, with the popular “UA” logo.  My aunt works there, so I have many of their clothes.  Under Armour has been able to outperform competitors such as Nike, Adidas, Champion, and Russell and many others. Yet, people still raise the question, does Under Armour buy their products and materials from sweatshops in the U.S. or overseas and how is that legal?  Under Armour has many points stating that they focus on buying their materials from factories that do not force child or any labor and do not buy their materials from places that use sweatshops.  The company also says that using a factory where labor is forced should be illegal because the employees are not getting paid what they should be and people have very bad working conditions, where getting seriously injured could happen at any time.

"Under Armour (UA) competes in an industry that faces ethical challenges in all operations.“  Many people are wondering how Under Armour is able to mass produce their product if they are buying their materials from overseas and if they use sweatshops or factories that force child labor. UA is leading the way in combating those ethical challenges through successful tactics that make them stand out from competitors. Under Armour has proven financially that it has been able to outperform its competition, such as Nike and Adidas, along with many other sports brands with apparel designed to help athletes perform better.

A  Supplier Code of Conduct says that, “Under Armour suppliers' and their subcontractors' must deal with their employees in a legal, ethical and equitable manner.”  They specifically state they will not buy products from suppliers that use any forced labor or child employees under the age of 15.  Suppliers and contractors must provide safe, healthy working conditions, reasonable working hours and a fair wage to all workers.  Under Armour is defending their company by saying that they do not buy materials and products from places that have forced labor; they have good working conditions and employees are paid the right amount.  Ultimately, “Under Armour suppliers and their subcontractors must be ethical in their business practices.”

"Under Armour seeks to work with third party suppliers that treat their employees with respect and provide appropriate working conditions for their employees."  Many questions have been raised about how has Under Armour been able to use sweatshops and not gotten in any trouble for the way they get their materials and products. Sweatshops are workplaces where basic worker rights are not respected. Under Armour is in business to make money.  If they are going to be successful they have to get products and materials at a low cost and that comes from countries outside of the U.S.  Under Armour wants employees paid fairly, but in other countries, that is a lot less than what U.S. workers would be paid.  The goal of a factory is to mass produce materials.  But people need good working conditions and need to be paid enough money for the type of work they are expected to do.

Under Armour is saying the right things.  They want employees, suppliers and contractors treated ethically, fairly and with respect.  Their clothes and other products are very popular, so hopefully if the company continues to make money, they will share money with their workers.