Russell Australia

OVERALL
Owned	USA
Rating

Clothing

Company Ownership


Russell Corp. Australia Pty Ltd	AUS	website
Russell Brands LLC owns 100% of Russell Corp. Australia Pty Ltd	USA	website	email
Clothing Part of Bershire Hathaway's Fruit of the Loom division. Brands include Russell, Brooks, Spalding & Sherrin.
Fruit of the Loom Ltd owns 100% of Russell Brands LLC	USA	website
Clothing Production occurs in Latin America, and at a new manufacturing plant in Morocco which serves the European market. Distributed in Australia by Range Works Pty Ltd.
» Berkshire Hathaway Inc owns 100% of Fruit of the Loom Ltd	USA	website
Conglomerate The world's 3rd richest man, Warren Buffett, owns about a quarter of the company. Berkshire Hathaway owns stakes of $1 billion or more in many companies including American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Sanofi, Wells Fargo, and IBM. Acquired half of Heinz in 2013.

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Company Assessment

PRAISE

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INFORMATION

Russell Corp. Australia Pty Ltd

Australian Packaging Covenant signatory

Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation.
[Source 2017][More on Packaging]

Russell Brands LLC

A grade at Free2Work.org

A rating at Free2Work.org, which rates companies on their efforts to address forced and child labour, using four main categories: policies, monitoring, transparency, and worker rights.
[Source 2015][More on Workers Rights]

Wage theft in Haiti

This 2013 report by the Workers Rights Consortium reveals that the majority of Haitian garment workers are being denied nearly a third of the wages they are legally due as a result of the factories' theft of their income. Wages for garment industry workers in Haiti are already among the lowest in the world. This company was named as being complicit in this wage theft.
[Source 2013][More on Workers Rights]

17/100 in Fashion Transparency Index

The 2018 Fashion Transparency Index looks at how much brands know about their supply chains, what kind of policies they have in place and importantly, how much information they share with the public about their practices and products. This company scored 17%, signifying it makes some efforts to manage and improve their supply chains but make little supply chain information publicly available. This company still has a long way to go towards supply chain transparency. The average score was 21% and the highest score was 58%.
[Source 2018][More on Sustainability Reporting]

Previous boycott

In 2008, Russell Athletic announced it would close Jerzees de Honduras in response to workers' organising efforts. During that year, USAS organised the largest boycott in the history of modern student activism, and won! The company agreed to meet worker demands to reopen the factory and re-hire all 1200 workers, who had been without jobs for over 10 months.
[Source 2009][More on Workers Rights]

Sweatshops in Jordan

This 2010 investigative report by the Institute for Global Labour & Human Rights reveals systematic gross violations of human and worker rights in Jordanian sweatshops operated by Classic Fashion Apparel. Wal-Mart, Hanesbrands, Macy's, Russell, and Fruit of the Loom are among their customers. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
[Source 2010][More on Workers Rights]

Fruit of the Loom Ltd

Child labour scorecard

This website by German NGO Earth Link rates companies on their corporate policies against child labour, production monitoring and accusations of child labour. This company received at least one green mark, and no red marks, indicating good performance in one or more of these areas.
[Source 2013][More on Human Rights]

Bangladesh Safety Accord signatory

This company has signed the 'Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh', a program endorsed by Bangladeshi and international unions and labor rights organizations. The ground-breaking program includes independent safety inspections with public reports, mandatory factory building renovations, the obligation by brands and retailers to underwrite the cost of repairs, and a vital role for workers and their unions all in a legally-binding, enforceable agreement.
[Source 2018][More on Human Rights]

Uzbek cotton commitment

This company has signed the Cotton Pledge with the Responsible Sourcing Network, signifying a public commitment to not use Uzbekistani cotton. (Uzbekistan is the world's fifth largest exporter of cotton and has for decades been criticised for using the forced labour of its schoolchildren to harvest that cotton by hand under appalling conditions. This practice is organised and controlled by the central government).
[Source 2016][More on Human Rights]

D+ grade in 2018 Ethical Fashion Report

D+ grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's 'Ethical Fashion Report 2018', which grades companies, from A to F, on the strength of their systems to mitigate against the risks of forced labour, child labour, and exploitation in their supply chains. Assessment criteria fall into four main categories: policies, knowing suppliers, auditing and supplier relationships, and worker empowerment.
[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]

Sweatshops in Jordan

FLA Accredited

When joining the Fair Labor Association (FLA) this company committed to promoting and complying with international labor standards throughout their supply chain. The FLA does not accredit the company itself; rather, they accredit the company's labor compliance program. Being granted accreditation implies that their workplace standards program is substantially in compliance with the FLA Code.
[Source 2016][More on Workers Rights]

Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety member

This company is a member of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a legally binding, five-year commitment to improve safety in Bangladeshi ready-made garment factories. The Alliance aims to improve worker safety in the Bangladesh garment industry by upgrading factories, educating workers and management, empowering workers, and building institutions that can enforce and maintain safe working conditions throughout Bangladesh. However it lacks an important enforcement mechanism included in the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, and unlike the Accord, the Alliance has not received the endorsement of the ILO.
[Source 2016][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

Sustainability Consortium member

This company is a member of The Sustainability Consortium, an organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. They develop transparent methodologies, tools, and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives.
[Source 2015][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

SB 657 disclosure statement

The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (SB 657) requires companies operating in California to disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains. KnowTheChain.org has examined this company's disclosure statement and concluded that it addresses the majority of SB 657 requirements. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
[Source 2014][More on Workers Rights]

Cotton sourcing (As You Sow)

Responsible Sourcing Network's 2014 report Cotton Sourcing Snapshot: A Survey of Corporate Practices to End Forced Labor includes survey results and ratings of 49 companies reflecting actions they are taking to stop cotton from Uzbekistan picked with forced labor from entering their supply chains. The survey offered a maximum of 100 points across 11 indicators in the categories of Policy, Public Disclosure, Engagement, and Implementation & Auditing. Only five companies scored over 50 points, 19 companies scored under 25 points, and two companies scored zero. This company received a score of 44.
[Source 2014][More on Human Rights]

'C' rating at rankabrand.org

Rank a Brand searches the websites of brands for the answers to carefully targeted questions. From this they calculate sustainability scores based on the themes of environment, climate, labor issues, and transparency. Brands owned by this company received a 'C'.
[Source 2014][More on Sustainability Reporting]

Berkshire Hathaway Inc

Commitment to zero deforestation 0/5

The Forest 500 identifies, ranks, and tracks the governments, companies and financial institutions worldwide that together could virtually eradicate tropical deforestation. Rankings are based on their public policies and commitments and potential impacts on tropical forests in the context of forest risk commodities (palm oil, soya, beef, leather, timber, and pulp and paper). This financial institution received a score of 0/5.
[Source 2017][More on Forests]

Insuring coal projects

The Unfriend Coal campaign by a group of NGOs has ranked the world's leading insurance companies on underwriting coal projects, coal divestment, and other climate action. This company ranked poorly across every criteria assessed.
[Source 2018][More on Climate Change]

Zero score on Corporate Equality Index

This company is listed as having worst practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
[Source 2014][More on Workers Rights]

Conflict minerals rating

As You Sow's 2017 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 206 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was below 40% (Weak).
[Source 2017][More on Human Rights]

0.0% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 0/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
[Source 2017][More on Sustainability Reporting]

Human Rights

This 2009 report by the International Labor Rights Forum outlines several areas in which Berkshire Hathaway faces significant environmental, labor rights and human rights issues. [Listed under information due to age of report]
[Source 2009][More on Human Rights]

OpenSecrets.org profile

OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
[Source 2014]

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Company Details

Company Structure

Wholly-owned subsidiary

Contact Details

Address	Australia
Website	www.russellcorp.com.au

Products / Brands

Russell Australia

Russell Athletic Sportswear
Spalding Sports Shoes
Spalding Sportswear

Russell Australia

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