The Nike swoosh will continue to adorn the uniforms and warm-up suits of the UW’s student athletes.

The UW Board of Regents and UW President Mark Emmert approved the Product Supply Agreement and the Appearance & Consultation Agreement with Nike yesterday. Their decision was made in a joint committee meeting with the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and the members of the Finance, Audit and Facilities Committee.

The final decision was met with protests from student groups such as the Student Labor Action Project (SLAP).

More than 150 people packed into the Petersen Room of the Allen Library awaiting the board’s decision yesterday afternoon. White cloths, symbolizing the silencing of the UW students and the university’s apparel workers covered the mouths of SLAP supporters.

“Workers’ rights are human rights, we will not give up the fight,” chanted SLAP members and supporters in an exodus from the Peterson Room after the final decision was announced.

Signs asking the UW to put an end to use of sweatshops hung from the walls and students carried banners advertising their cause.

“Shame, shame, shame on you,” shouted an angry SLAP supporter as she left the meeting.

A majority of the crowd wasn’t satisfied with the UW’s decision to renew Nike’s 10-year contract.

“I’m really disappointed with the University,” said Khadyja Reinhardt, a UW alumna and SLAP member. “I’m disappointed we couldn’t stand up and make sure workers’ rights are respected.”

The new Nike contract is actually two contracts that will allow the University and Nike to remain in a partnership until 2019. The contracts — the Product Supply Agreement and the Appearance & Consultation Agreement — will bring an added value of about $35 million to the UW athletic program and will provide an average of $2.6 million in products each year.

These agreements will benefit the school, said Scott Woodward, the UW athletic director, because Nike will recognize the institution as a top-tier performer despite the poor performance of the football and basketball teams during the past couple years.

“This is one of the most lucrative sponsorships,” Woodward said.

All isn’t lost for SLAP and its efforts to sway Nike into abiding by stricter worker’s rights laws, such as the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP). The DSP requires university licensees to meet requirements in factories that produce apparel for the university.

Throughout the meeting, members of the Board of Regents, and Emmert himself, reiterated a commitment to holding Nike to higher standards. However, they believe that in order to do this, a relationship with Nike must be maintained.

“What we are trying to do with Nike and a group of other universities is to create something that meets the spirit of [the Designated Suppliers Program],” said Emmert of his efforts to comply and meet many of SLAP’s objections to Nike.

In order to hold Nike to higher standards for workers’ rights, it’s better to confront the issue strategically to give the UW the upper hand in further agreements, said Jean Paul Willynck, the UW student regent.

“The dilemma we face is a pragmatic one. Do you make a better impact telling them to buzz off or by engaging them?” said Craig W. Coles, chair of the Board of Regents.

In the end, the Board and Emmert decided it was in the UW’s best interest to remain engaged with Nike to work together toward better workers’ rights.

“I think the heat is on for the UW to keep the heat on suppliers,” Coles said.

Reach reporter Karleen Scharer at news@dailyuw.com.