usc s.c.a.l.e.

Students Battle a Dallas Cowboys Unit Over College Apparel

2011-10-29T01:56:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK TIMES
September 23, 2011

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE

The Dallas Cowboys have a new merchandising arm that recently jumped into the business of producing college-logo apparel for leading universities, but the Cowboys subsidiary has already encountered a stubborn opponent — student groups that contend it is using overseas sweatshops.

At Ohio State, many students and professors are pressing the university’s administration not to sign a proposed multimillion-dollar deal with the Cowboys’ affiliate, Silver Star Merchandising. And at the University of Southern California, students returning to campus this fall are voicing outrage that their school signed an ambitious 10-year licensing deal with the Cowboys last May while keeping the negotiations secret from the students.

Natalie Yoon, president of the United Students Against Sweatshops chapter at Ohio State, said: “This proposed licensing deal is very problematic given the Dallas Cowboys’ labor history. Just skimming the surface, we found the Cowboys produced merchandise at four factories that have egregious sweatshop violations.”

That anti-sweatshop group, with more than 150 college chapters nationwide, said Silver Star Merchandising had used one factory in El Salvador that, according to monitoring groups, threatened union supporters, had drinking water that was contaminated and illegally forced employees to work huge amounts of overtime. The group cited a second El Salvador plant that factory monitors said had spied on union supporters and put them in worse jobs at lower pay.

United Students Against Sweatshops also said that Silver Star had manufacturing done at an Indonesian factory that suddenly closed, its owners fleeing, without paying $3 million in legally required severance pay owed to its 2,800 employees.

The Cowboys’ Silver Star Merchandising subsidiary acknowledges that it, like many other American apparel companies, has used some factories that had problems, but it said it was trying to improve conditions at those facilities.

“We are very serious about our social compliance responsibilities,” said Bill Priakos, Silver Star’s chief operating officer. “We have a very aggressive code of conduct for all factories representing our brand.”

In 1996, the Cowboys became the first football team to insist on handling its merchandise rights in-house. Jerry Jones, the team’s owner, sought to extend the team’s retail expertise last year by founding Silver Star, which says it is seeking to produce and distribute college-logo apparel for a limited number of prominent universities, starting with U.S.C. and Ohio State. His son Jerry Jones Jr. is Silver Star’s president.

The anti-sweatshop groups have tussled in recent years with Nike, Gap, Russell Athletic and other companies, pushing them to improve poor conditions at some of the factories they use. Now these groups have made Silver Star their newest target, arguing that it, as the new kid on the block, has not done its human rights homework and has an especially bad track record in using factories with violations.

Rick Van Brimmer, Ohio State’s director of trademark and licensing services, said his university would not consider a licensing deal with a company that did not take workers’ rights and codes of conduct seriously.

“Whether we are talking about prospective licensees or existing licensees,” he said, “we are committed to an aggressive and meaningful corporate social responsibility program.” He said this meant engaging with “companies that share those goals” and were willing to work on corrective measures.

Both Silver Star and Mr. Van Brimmer said their philosophy was not to walk away from a bad factory, but to press the factory to make needed changes.

Julia Wang, a U.S.C. sophomore who is a co-president of the school’s Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation, said students were angry that they learned of their school’s Cowboys deal only through news reports.

“We asked how they managed to sign a deal with the Cowboys without any student input when there are all these widely known cases of sweatshop abuse in some of the factories they use,” Ms. Wang said. “We asked, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ and again and again all we’ve gotten are wishy-washy answers. We’re looking for improved policies and action.”

U.S.C. officials defended Silver Star, maintaining that it, like the school’s other apparel licensees, was intent on working with universities and factory owners to ensure that the factories complied with codes of conduct. U.S.C. officials declined to discuss the scope or value of the contract, although they said total sales of U.S.C.-themed merchandise exceeded $20 million a year.

Matthew Curran, U.S.C.’s director of trademark, licensing and social responsibility, said the school required all licensees to comply with a strict code of conduct that barred factories from violating labor laws and having abusive conditions. Mr. Curran said that his university’s agreement with the Cowboys would enable U.S.C. to consolidate more of its marketing and distribution with a small group of companies.

“We believe this will give us and other parties involved an enhanced ability to track, monitor and to ideally have greater influence on those factories,” he said.

When the PT Kizone factory in Indonesia closed without paying $3 million in severance, Nike, one of the factory’s major customers, said it and one of its middlemen would put up $1.5 million toward severance. Teresa Cheng, international campaigns coordinator with United Students Against Sweatshops, complained that Silver Star had been very reluctant to help pay for severance.

“We went to the Cowboys and asked them to tell us the name of one factory they used that complied with Ohio State’s code of conduct, and they couldn’t name a single factory,” Ms. Cheng said.

Mr. Curran of U.S.C. defended Silver Star, saying it stopped doing business with PT Kizone before the factory closed — an assertion the student group contests. Mr. Curran said Silver Star was not contractually or legally responsible to help pay severance, but it “has been in contact” with “other stakeholders in an effort to find a resolution.”

As for the two El Salvador factories, Mr. Priakos of Silver Star said his company represented less than 5 percent of their production. He said a monitoring group was working with the factories to ensure that the factories came into compliance with the law and codes of conduct.

Ms. Yoon, mentioning a November 2010 e-mail by Mr. Van Brimmer, Ohio State’s licensing director, said the university had an unfair, telescoped selection process that unduly favored Silver Star. In that e-mail, Mr. Van Brimmer told Silver Star: “I may be forced into looking at ‘bids’ simply because we are a state agency. But don’t fear that process.”

Mr. Van Brimmer said the process was transparent, thorough, competitive and fair, adding, “No one was promised anything, and to classify it as a ‘charade’ is blatantly untrue, unfair and disrespectful,” to all those involved in the process.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/business/students-object-to-use-of-sweatshop-labor-on-college-clothing.html?pagewanted=all

Fall 2010 Introductory Meeting.

2010-09-07T19:01:00.001-07:00

Hi, All!

We're BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-ACK. And we're planning on winning more campaigns this year, so circle-up!

Where? On the Trousdale Pkwy side of THH
When? 5pm, Wednesday, 8 September

Whether you can make it to the meeting or not, email scale [at] usc.edu if you're interested

m!

introductory meeting tonight at 6 pm in VKC 101!!!

2009-01-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Hi all

Just a reminder that the introductory meeting for the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation will be tonight (Tuesday) at 6 pm in VKC 101. We will have some food too. The meeting should not last more than an hour. Come learn more about

+ How to get involved in our campaign to ensure that USC apparel is made under fair labor conditions
+ The history of the SCALE campaign, our sit in, and SCALE's 10 year history
+ The national conference for United Students Against Sweatshops in February
+ How to get involved to support worker and immigrant rights in Los Angeles

See you there!

SCALE

NEW MEETING TIME: FALL 2007

2007-10-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

SCALE meets at 7 pm in VKC 100 every Monday.

new meeting time

2006-09-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

hey!

just wanted to be sure that everyone knew that scale has a new meeting time and place this semester:

7pm in THH 105.
hope to see you there -- and bring friends!

email scale @ usc.edu for more info.

new book ::: check it

2006-07-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

There's a new book out, and despite the fact that it was written by someone from ucla (:P), i think that it's pretty important that we pick it up and give it a read. it arrives just as LA is named, once again, the most sweated city in the nation.

the $10 book is a compilation of interviews, stats, stories, company profiles, project, report and publication reviews, edited by ucla prof/advisors kent wong and julie monroe. it's called "sweatshop slaves: asian americans in the garment industry," and it's available for purchase thru ucla. the piece is the outgrowth of a course called, "work, labor, and social justice," and is testament to what such a class can do. i'm under the impression that we're trying to get a research/indep study course together here at 'sc, maybe we can get in touch w/ prof wong, or put him in contact w/ sellers and mr. josh and see about how to build a really dynamic, productive program. the book is proof that it DOESN'T just have to be a class and that's the end of it; you get your credits, your grade, and go home. something that lasts can be put together and put on the market, sales can even go to benefit a group, family, or ngo in the field.

below is the full text of an article put out by ucnewswire. it describes in greater detail both the book and the story behind it.

- m.

New book by UCLA undergrads goes inside LA sweatshops
Meg Sullivan, UCLA

Growing up among the children of garment industry workers in El Monte, Calif., Pauline Phan routinely was handed piecework when she visited the homes of friends and neighbors.

"We'd cut threads off garments or fit newly sewn Halloween costumes into boxes," recalls the UCLA biology major. "We didn't think anything of the work. To us it was just a normal thing to do."

In fact, the daughter of hardworking Vietnamese refugees insists she had no idea that some parents work eight-hour days - or that child labor is illegal - until she enrolled at UCLA.

"I have a lot of friends whose parents work from the moment they get up to the moment they go to bed, and their children would help them in any way they could." she said. "I knew that they had to do what they had to do, and it sucked. But I didn't realize that anything could be done about the problem."

"Work, Labor and Social Justice," a yearlong general education class, opened Phan's eyes. The experience was so inspiring for her and seven other UCLA freshmen that they decided to write a book on the subject.

Four years later, "Sweatshop Slaves: Asian Americans in the Garment Industry" has rolled off the presses just as the students are gearing up to participate in the university's June 16 commencement exercises.

"Having this book finished before graduation makes this time extra special," said Jacqueline Ng, a biology major and contributor. "I feel like I've surpassed my own expectations for myself."

Written in a lively and engaging manner, "Sweatshop Slaves" is first book to focus on Asian American garment workers of Los Angeles.

Compiled from press accounts, in-depth interviews, unpublished labor research and labor newsletters, the 104-page book is designed to be a primer both for students of labor studies and for garment workers eager to learn more about their rights. It also serves as a kind of referendum on progress for the local Asian American garment workers, whose plight became the subject of international attention with the alarming discovery in 1995 of 72 Thai immigrants held captive and forced to work 18-hour days in an El Monte sweatshop.

"The students by and large knew nothing about these conditions before the class," said Kent Wong, director of UCLA's Center for Labor Research and Education and instructor of "Work, Labor and Social Justice." "The book is a fulfillment of their interest to get the word out that sweatshops aren't something that only happened 100 years ago, but they're here and now."

With government enforcement plummeting as the industry mushrooms, "Sweatshop Slaves" paints a pessimistic picture of the effectiveness of legislation passed in the wake of the El Monte raid.

"The greatest challenge facing the California Legislature is no longer enacting laws to improve working conditions, grievance procedure, or manufacturing practices in the garment industry; we have plenty of laws," writes student author Justin Miyamoto, a biochemistry major. "But without financial support for government organizations to implement them, these laws are useless."

A more encouraging picture emerges from grassroots protests. "Sweatshop Slaves" presents the most comprehensive account to date of four successful labor campaigns, including boycotts and other interventions from labor organizers, against clothing retailers and manufacturers.

The book also assembles for the first time in one place profiles of six key labor groups, including a nonprofit organization started by a UCLA graduate.

UCLA alumna Chanchanit "Chancee" Martorell credits her undergraduate work in political science and her graduate work in Asian American Studies with preparing her for the 1994 launch of the Thai Community Development Center. Dedicated to advancing the social and economic well-being of low- and moderate-income Thai immigrants, the CDC responded immediately to the needs of the El Monte sweatshop laborers, who after being discovered were taken into custody by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

"Students should be made aware of the 'model minority' myth, because we have many Asians making up the working poor," Martorell writes in the book.

In addition to portraits of labor groups, the book includes profiles of individual "sweatshop warriors," or activists who have been particularly effective in the battle against abusive labor practices in the garment industry.

The most amazing example is a former pediatrician from China, who followed family to the San Gabriel Valley. Daunted by the prospects of learning English well enough to find
employment in the medical field, Helen Chien eventually found work in garment factories plagued by unfair labor conditions, including abysmal pay, filthy restrooms, abusive employers and harsh chemicals without protection.

"I had no idea how cruel some employers could be," Chien writes in the book.

Now a leading labor organizer, Chien tells her story for the first time in print to Phan, who grew up speaking Chien's native Mandarin because Phan's parents, while from Vietnam, are ethnically Chinese.

Meanwhile, a student of Thai heritage interviewed one of the El Monte workers who were surrounded by barbed wire and subjected to 24-hour surveillance by armed guards.

"I felt sure that if I tried to leave, I would be killed," Rojana Cheunchujit Sussman said.

"It was so wonderful to have these bilingual students because we were able to get access to people who hadn't been interviewed before," added Wong, who has been teaching at UCLA for 20 years.

While the book traces the history of sweatshops in the United States, it focuses on the Greater Los Angeles area, which has surpassed the New York area as the center of the North American garment industry. Home to more than 1,000 manufacturers who employ an estimated 90,000 workers, most of them immigrant, the garment and related industries account for as much as 10 percent of Los Angeles' economy, according to "Sweatshop Slaves." Nearly one in five local employees today work in the garment industry, making it Los Angeles' leading manufacturing sector.

Order forms for "Sweatshop Slaves: Asian Americans in the Garment Industry" are available at http://www.labor.ucla.edu/. The book can be purchased for $10 by mailing a check to the UCLA Labor Center, PO Box 951478, Los Angeles CA 90095-1478. No credit card orders are accepted at this time.

For more information, contact Erica Grove at (310) 206-0812

battered in bangladesh

2006-05-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

an action alert from the Clean Clothes Campaign:

UNION OFFICIALS ARRESTED, BEATEN, AND TORTURED IN BANGLADESH FOLLOWING WORKER PROTESTS
Please contact the Bangladeshi embassy to demand the release of labor leaders.

Dear friends,

Most of you will have read in the media about the very serious protests of garment workers in Bangladesh. Two workers are confirmed dead (informal reports speak of five), hundreds have been injured, and at least over a hundred factories have been torched in riots over the past few days. After a worker from FS factory in Gazipur (producing among others for Auchan, H&M, Gap, M&S, Inditex, Tesco and Next) was shot by the police, the fighting spread to the Savar EPZ and further, workers tended to single out factories where there had been problems including Universe Garments, Bandhu, Ringshine and A-One.

The protesters call particularly for and end to the low wages and long working hours. Given the unsafe conditions and the almost complete lack of respect for workers fundamental rights, particularly the right to organize and to bargain (including the development of functional industrial relations and grievance mechanisms ) it should come as no surprise that people take to the streets.

Over the past year CCC has regularly called attention to the need for structural measures to end the consistent and ongoing violations in the Bangladeshi garment industry, repeatedly warning that workers are getting desperate and frustrated. With great persistence we, together with unions and NGOs in Bangladesh, have called upon brands, the Bangladeshi government, factory owners and their associations to take immediate action. This has resulted in a lot of talk but minimal concrete improvements in the lives of the workers. Clearly, many of them by now feel they have nothing to lose.

Instead of launching an immediate investigation into the root cause of the riots and measures to address them, as called for also by the ITGLWF, the government yesterday had the police arrest several union officials, either in their offices or on the road (none of them at the protests). One was released yesterday evening, but this evening (24 may) Dhaka time, BIGUF received reliable information that all three of their staff members who were arrested (two organizers and one cleaner) had been blindfolded and severely beaten and tortured by the police.

The lawyer who is helping them reported that she saw them this afternoon when they were brought to court. She said they were given medical aid before they were brought to the court, and personally saw the bruises and cuts. She also said that the court ordered that they remain in detention five more days for further questioning.

They were arrested at the BIGUF office in Gazipur at about 8AM on May 23, while doing their office work. They (and BIGUF officers) have categorically denied that they were part of the Savar and Dhaka labor unrest. They're accused of vandalism, destruction of properties and labor unrest in the garment industry - case No. 51(5) 06 under Penal Code 147, 148, 149, 323, 360 and 379.

Police also arrested Garments Workers Unity Forum President Moshrefa Mishu on May23, reportedly while she was on her way to a press conference.

Please contact the Bangladeshi embassy in your country today (see list below) and call for their immediate release! This is matter of great urgency. Please also contact brands and your own government (for example via their embassies in Bangladesh) and express your concern.

Draft message (please adapt as you see fit):

TO:
Ambassador Shamsher M. Chowdhury
Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC
3510, International Drive NW
Washington, DC 20008, USA
EMAIL : bdootwash@bangladoot.org
PHONE : (202) - 244 - 0183
FAX:(202) - 244 - 7830/2771

May 2006

Dear Ambassador Chowdhury:

I (my organization) is greatly shocked to learn that you have arrested, beaten and tortured a number of union officials in relation to the worker protests of the past days, which follows years of neglicence of
workers rights.

I (my organization) call upon you to immediately release them and instead launch an investigation in the root causes of the riots, focusing in particular on the following problems:

- repression of unions and failure to respect the right to organize and to collective bargaining;
- unfair dismissals of elected worker representatives
- excessively long working hours;
- low rates of basic earnings;
- abuses in piece rate payments;
- the late payment of wages;
- the use of child labour;
- issues of structural and fire safety in the sector;
- the corrupt police practice of charge sheeting workers on the flimsiest of evidence;
- the practice of supervisors acting as labour contractors and illegally raking off a percentage of wages;
- the practice of using hired goons to terrorise and intimidate workers;
- the behaviour of the police and other paramilitary forces when unrest occurs.

Sincerely,

________________________

for more information on the protests in bangladesh visit:

Protesting Bangladeshis burn factories (reuters)
Bangladesh workers set factories ablaze (china post)
Foreign garment owners to ask compensation from Bangladesh government (people's daily)
Ominous signs on the horizon (financial express)

tomorrow!

2006-05-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

The Unheard Voices of the Maquilas: Tijuana Sweatshops Exposed

Special Guest Speakers:
Alejandra Domenzain from Sweatshop Watch, Representatives from the Center for Workers' Information, the Binational Feminist Collective, and a maquiladora worker

LEARN ABOUT:
Working conditions within maquiladoras, especially for women, environmental and health consequences, and the economic conditions that affect the U.S. and Mexico

OPPORTUNITIES TO:
- Meet local organizations in L.A. that work against maquilas and sweatshops
- Possible internship and research opportunities
- Meet and become involved with campus organizations that deal with labor and sweatshop issues.

Wed. May 24, 2006
5-6:30PM
Public Policy #1246, UCLA

This event is co-sponsored by Conciencia Libre and MEChA of UCLA

For more information contact Alejandra Ponce de Leon
714-717-3392
ale92868 @ yahoo.com

SweatshopWatch
1250 S. Los Angeles St., Suite 212
Los Angeles, California 90015
United States

determination.

2006-04-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

the students, professors, and community leaders at the colorado university are one hardy bunch.... . . .... .. .. . . . here at 'sc, we have yet to affiliate with the wrc, but it's no doubt inspiring that people are still willing to go all out for something they believe in.

Still Going

By PAULA PANT Colorado Daily Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 9:41 PM MDT
Three more people joined the Coalition Against Sweatshop Abuses (CASA) hunger strike today, as protest organizers and CU administration officials slowly inched closer to a resolution.

A dozen students yesterday were on Day 14 of a hunger strike aimed at pressuring CU to adopt the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP). Under DSP guidelines, CU apparel must be made by companies that contract 25 percent of their workforce from factories where workers have a living wage and collective bargaining ability.
...
Virginia Cutshall and Tim Hillman, both of whom haven't eaten in two weeks, looked pale and sickly. Cutshall's normally bright eyes appeared sunken deeper into her face and were marred by a dark reddish hue. Hillman's cheeks, usually thin and well-defined, now appeared gaunt, and the color had drained from his face.

Yet both spoke yesterday's rally with an unwavering passion.

“I will not eat,” Hillman boomed through a microphone, “until this University stands up and respects the basic rights of workers everywhere.”

art. theater. sweatshops. tomorrow at noon.

2006-04-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Here are the details on tomorrow's event:

What: Sweatshop Theatre
Who: Brent Blair's "Theater in the Community" class
and the Student Coaliton Against Labor Exploitation (SCALE)
When: Tomorrow: 04/27, 12-1pm.
Where: McCarthy Quad (a reserved, protected space and event)

Professor Blair's class of 15-20 members will be putting on a presentation of "Sweatshop Theatre." The performers will enact the conversion of people all throughout the world into sweatshop workers; particularly those producing our own USC apparel. They will move from the four corners of the quad with large pieces of cardinal and gold fabric and then proceed to move into the action of sewing.Throughout the performances, which will repeat at intervals of about 15-20 minutes, the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation WILL BE PRESENT to answer any questions people might have and engage in a dialogue surrounding these issues. There will be poster boards up on the field which will challenge students to think about the conditions in which their clothing is made.

ps: also, put the word out on your listserves!
pps: any budding photographers out there wanna pick this one up?
ppps: mccarthy quad is the one right between leavey library and doheny, flanked by VKC and the parking structure.

-- d romero

berkeley residents,

2006-04-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

-- postpone the piña colada!
table that tequila!
maybe just miss that margarita entirely (i know; i'm hilarious - straightedge for life!) and come out for a benefit event:

Sweatshop Watch presents
The Cinco de Mayo
Sweatfree Berkeley Kickoff
& Just Garments Benefit

Friday, May 5th, 2006 7:00pm
Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists Hall
1924 Cedar St. @ Bonita Ave. in Berkeley (map)

Join Global Exchange and the Sweatfree Berkeley Coalition to make Berkeley Sweatfree, so that no goods purchased by the city government are made in sweatshops. Plus! Support the only worker owned, unionized factory in El Salvador, Just Garments.

$10-$25 sliding scale. No one turned away for lack of funds.
All ages welcome. Wheelchair accessible.

**Speakers!
Elizabeth (Betita) Martinez, Chicana civil rights activist, author, and educator
Claudia Huiza, Just Garments affiliate
Berkeley City Council Members
**Food, Local Brew (<-- i don't condone this) and Live Music!
By The Genie, Sensory Motor, and Valerie Orth
**Sneak Preview of Documentary, "Producing Just Garments"
**Silent Art AuctionArt by Local Artists

Why is it so important to attend this event?

Just Garments has demonstrated that maquila factories can be unionized, dignified, and controlled by workers in the global economy. Currently Just Garments' biggest challenge is their reliance on subcontracts which do not provide them enough capital to purchase their own raw materials for independent production. They are working hard to make this transition but are now in debt and need our help to pay their workers and maintain electricity in their factory. In order to support the workers, we can help with a financial contribution and by pressuring our local cities to not purchase goods made in sweatshops! Sweatfree Berkeley is underway. On April 18, the City Council unanimously approved to have the Commissions on Labor, Peace and Justice, and Public Works develop a Sweatfree Ordinance. Now we need to ensure the language of the proposed law is not watered down and that the City Council allocates funding for an independent, non-profit monitor. So, come join us in support our work to make Berkeley Sweatfree and Just Garments survive! Visit just garments and global exchange's sweatfree bay area for more info.

Event Sponsored by: Committee in Solidarity With the People of El Salvador and Global Exchange

Directions
By BART: get off at Downtown Berkeley BART, head N. on Shattuck, cross Univeristy Ave., walk 6 more blocks until you hit Cedar, take a left and walk 3 more blocks to Cedar St. and Bonita Ave. The hall is on your left at the corner of Bonita.

By Car, take Interstate 80, get of at University Ave. Exit. Take University east towards campus up to Martin Luther King Way. Left on MLK, drive 6 blocks until you reach Cedar. Take a right on Cedar and Park. The hall is one block up from MLK Way and Bonita Ave.

jack white of the white stripes makes ad for coca-cola

2006-04-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

so the indie darlings of a few years ago are now hocking coke. it wasn't enough that kerouac and ginsberg sold khakis for gap, now the whites go and conspire with coke.

contact them and let them know you think they can do better. remind them that coke and the image that white is selling, are masking the fact that there have been multiple murders and an undocumented number of attempted murders of labor organizers and union members and affliiates.

click here for contact info (flash -- or something -- required)

the issues aren't just popping up in colombia; it's india, china, guatemala -- all over the place. except, ironically, here, because despite being this all-american icon, it's simply not "economical" to produce coke (or much of anything for that matter) here in the united states. that said, when human rights violations happen somewhere else, we know about them, and still do nothing, that's on us. today's labor struggles and efforts towards achieving international solidarity and economic justice run parallel to efforts of decades past, and unless we make a serious commitment to hold transnationals accountable for behavior conducted abroad, there's little hope for us or the world.

for an in depth, well-researched history of the highs and lows of coke's global, economic expansion, as well as coke and world culture, pick up a copy of Mark Pendergrast's For God, Country, and Coca-Cola (his description). if you're interested in a piece that focuses specifically on the acusations raised in colombia, try lesley gill's report to the anthropological human rights committee, "labor and human rights: 'the real thing' in colombia."

labor and borders; migrants and remittances

2006-04-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

last week, the LA Times ran a really fantastic four-part series called "the new foreign aid." for a more personal look at what a little help from a family member living abroad -- legally or illegally, both scenarios are discussed -- can do, definitely give it a read. an interesting graph (image) reveals that remittances provide more assitance to needy families in impoverished, wartorn, underdeveloped countries than FDI and aid combined.
the stories are touching, the photographs are beautiful. and if you don't have the time to read the article, at least give the narrated slide shows a chance.

oh, and if you need a little added incentive, one of the featured male foreign workers wears a usc hat. (image, top right)

Workers' Memorial Day: Friday, April 28th

2006-04-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

USC SCALE and SweatshopWatch, Los Angeles encourage you to come out for Workers Memorial Day this coming Friday.

Join the Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (SoCalCOSH) and UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH) to pay tribute to workers who have suffered fatal injuries in California. Come learn about strategies being used to prevent / reduce workplace injuries from speakers at the formal program. Interact with advocates and take resources back to your constituents during the Information Exchange from 12 to 1 pm and 3 to 4 pm. Lunch & Spanish translation will be provided.

Remember to RSVP!

WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
12 pm to 4 pm

UCLA Downtown Labor Center
675 S. Park View St., Los Angeles 90057
$5 parking available next door
Please RSVP to socalcosh@iir.ucla.edu | (310) 825-0298

SPEAKERS CONFIRMED:
Assemblymember Paul Koretz, 42nd District
Maria Elena Durazo, Interim Secretary-Treasurer, LA County Federation of Labor (Invited)
Kent Wong, Director, UCLA Labor Center
Linda Delp, Director, UCLA Labor Occupational Safety & Health Program
Charles Burks, President, SoCalCOSH

Representatives will share health & safety campaigns from:
Center for Rural Legal Assistance, Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates, UNAC/UHCP AFSCME and UNITE-HERE Local 11

AGENDA:
12 pm - 1 pm: Information Exchange & Reception (lunch)
1 pm - 3 pm: Formal Program
3 pm - 4 pm: Information Exchange & Resource Tables

THE INFORMATION EXCHANGE WILL HAVE RESOURCES ON:
Cal/OSHA, environmental health, health services, local health & safety campaigns, policy & legislation, occupational health & education, repetitive stress injuries & support, workers compensation and young workers.

EVENT CO-HOSTED BY:
Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health
(SoCalCOSH) and UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH)

ENDORSED BY:
Coalition for Clean Air, Garment Worker Center, Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein, Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California(IDEPSCA), L.A. Trade Tech College, Labor Center Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Levy, Stern, & Ford Personal Injury Law, Los Angeles Repetitive Strain Injury Support Group, National Postal Mail Handlers Union #303, Occupational Health Branch of California Department of Health Services, SEIU 347, Sweatshop Watch, UCLA Center for Labor Research & Education, UNAC/UHCP, AFSCME, Voters Injured at Work, WORKSAFE!

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
SoCalCOSH: socalcosh@iir.ucla.edu | (310) 825-0298

Sweatshop Watch
1250 S. Los Angeles St. Suite 212
Los Angeles, California 90015
United States

Labor, Immigration, and American Apparel

2006-04-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

In today's Los Angeles Times you will find an article highlighting the immigration policy view of American Apparel founder and Sr. Partner, Dov Charney. A Canadian immigrant himself, and employer of easily hundreds -- maybe 1000s? -- of immigrants, he no doubt has an opinion. American Apparel has its issues -- namely aggressive T&A ads (photo!) and several serious sexual harrassment/hostile work environment lawsuits -- but American Apparel remains a company that is providing, ON AVERAGE, $12/hr on its sewing floor. A stand out, to say the least.

Here are some highlights:

"My experience is that they're making a great contribution to the economy. They're very interested in integrating themselves. They're not trying to rip off anybody. No one's trying to get out of paying any taxes. Everybody's ready to do the right thing. The night of Sept. 11, in the neighborhoods in which I work and in which I drove home and throughout the Latino neighborhoods where workers work, there were people who didn't speak very good English waving American flags on Sunset [Boulevard]. Doesn't matter what the documents say, they're American workers. They're a fundamental part of our city."

The speaker is Dov Charney, 37, the founder and senior partner of American Apparel Inc., a manufacturer of youth-oriented garb with 125 retail stores, including 76 in the United States, and more than $200 million in annual sales. American's downtown factory is the largest single garment plant in the nation, employing 3,800 workers, of whom 90% are Latino...He says he's planning to hire buses to transport 2,500 workers to downtown rallies on behalf of labor and sound immigration policies on May 1...

"My vision would be a very liberal immigration policy," he told me this week. "I think we have to have a wholesale amnesty, one shot. I don't believe in any restrictions on exit or entry to the United States. 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall,' Give people the opportunity to work...

"--immigration has to be understood as a good thing...I just see positive: people making a contribution to society. I have Chinese immigrants working here, Canadian immigrants, I have Mexican immigrants, Guatemalan, Korean, Japanese. One of the secrets to American Apparel is that very few of us are American-born. But that's what makes us an American company. Diversity is strength..."

"I realize nobody's able to speak candidly on these issues," he says. That applies directly to his own industry, which unlike the agricultural sector, has never stood on the political frontlines to say that it depends for labor on undocumented workers. "No one really wants to come forth and be honest."

Charney has some theories about the apparel industry's shyness. One is that its workforce is more visible to the community than are farmworkers, so broadcasting their lack of documentation makes Americans more sensitive about their presence. "Apparel is in your city. It's close to home. Agriculture is in the fields."

He also suggests that apparel companies believe it would be a marketing faux pas to remind buyers that their stylish clothing is manufactured by a distinctly declasse labor force not at all like them. "Apparel is supposed to be sexy and fun. Clothing is linked to the leisure culture..."

you can read the article in its entirety -- at least for a little while... -- here.

2 Events -- Thurs, April 20

2006-04-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW April 20th, there will be two events to check out:

Living Diagram for Darfur: 11-1pm. We need your help! We are asking students to line the grassy median along trousdale wearing colored shirts to represent those that have died, those displaced, and those in power. This event is meant to provide a visual of the numbers of people killed and displaced by the Genocide in Darfur. To be effective we need as many people as possible to take part. Talk to your friends classmates and see if they can come and help out. usc.stand@gmail.com

USC UNICEF will screen Rx for Survival: Disease Warriors, narrated by Brad Pitt, on Thursday, April 20 at 6PM in SGM101.
Rx for Survival examines critical health issues that pertain to students pursuing medical, pharmaceutical, or science careers. The film addresses the tragic reality of so many children who are not provided with the fundamental necessities to ensure good health, such as vaccinations, clean water, food, and sanitation.

Invisible Children Screening: THIS Friday, April 21st, 6:00PM. USC Norris Cinema Theatre. If you missed it the 1st time, you definitely need to come Friday.

coke protest in delaware: wednesday, april 19th

2006-04-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry. I took down the post because I couldn't figure out formatting and accidentally deleted it instead of republishing it. Due to popular demand from a daily reader, it is now back up. Cardinal Martini, if you would like the number of someone you can contact once you're in Delaware, don't be hesitant to ask.

Join the international movement for justice and human rights against The Coca-Cola Company for murder, torture, pollution, theft, and union-busting throughout the world! Come celebrate our momentum and demand Coke end its deceit and violence in front of their very own shareholders.

Coke Is On The Ropes - Help Us Deliver the Final Blows!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Hotel Du Pont on 11th and Market Streets, Wilmington, DE 19801
9:30am: Convergence, Press, & Rally (plus plans we don't want Big Beverage to know)

We have reached a turning point in the campaign to hold Coke accountable for human rights violations in Colombia as well as India, Turkey, Indonesia, and Guatemala. Coke's arrogance and blatant negligence have only expanded the campaign and fueled student militancy on campus - victory is near and we need your support!

If you decide to head out - you can get reimbursed for your travel costs.

students at BERKELEY arrested for non-violent demonstration

2006-04-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

really loud bells should be going off in everyone's heads if kids at berkeley are getting arrested for protests. if they're being arrested up there, we'll probably be bludgeoned to death here at usc....

Tuesday, 11 April, 18 students at the University of California-Berkeley were arrested for participating in a non-violent civil disobedience demanding that their university adopt a policy ensuring that university apparel and uniforms are produced in factories in which workers are represented by a democratic union and earn a living wage.

If you have a moment, please consider sending a message to the President of the University, Robert Dynes, and Chancellor Birgeneau urging them to refrain from further disciplinary moves, be it university or police action, against these and other students. Students have a right to speak their minds and have their voices heard in peaceful protest, and our universities must understand that we will not tolerate any abridgement of these rights.

More related stories:
- 18 sweatshop protesters arrested in sit-in at California Hall, UC Berkeley
- Living wage sit-in results in one arrest: Police arrest Prof. Wende E. Marshall; students plan to continue sit-in indefinately, University of Virginia
- 10 Students Cited for Trespasssing, UC Riverside

Potential mail, email, or fax text:

Dear ______________,

I am extemely disappointed to hear that, instead of entering into a dialogue with students engaged in a peaceful civil disobedience, the university has attempted to silence their voices through police intimidation. The University of California, as one of the leading public institutions in the world, has an obligation to set an example for the rest of the university community to follow. By choosing to arrest students for taking a principled stand on an issue that, to be quite honest, the university ought to have resolved long ago, the University of California is sending the message that they will stop at nothing, even if it means resorting to police intimidation, to silence the voices of its students. I would strongly urge the University of California, for its own sake, to ensure that these students are immediately released, that all charges are dropped, and that there is no further action taken against any of the students in question. The community at large takes the University of California's actions so far to be a direct assault on our most basic right to free speech, and will not stand idly by while the university punishes students for doing what is right.

If you prefer to call in, here is a potential script:

Hello, my name is ____________ and I am a _______________ at the University of ______________. The University of California, by arresting students for engaging in a peaceful civil disobedience aimed at ensuring the protection of workers' rights, has shamefully attempted to silence the voices of students through police intimidation. I am appalled that the university would resort to such tactics, and demand that all students be released, that all charges be dropped, that no further disciplinary action be taken, and that the demands of the students be met immediately. What's at stake: Students at the University of California have, for the past six months, been pressuring their university to adopt the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP). This policy, once adopted, woud ensure that university apparel and uniforms were produced in factories in which workers are represented by a democratic union and earn a living wage. Unfortunately, even though all possible avenues have been pursued, the university has, up until now, refused to make a good faith effort towards meeting these demands. Students, therefore, were given no choice but to engage in a civil disobedience aimed at persuading the university to adopt a policy that, clearly, was not going to be accepted through any other means. Instead of listening to the demands of students, however, the University of California has responded by arresting students engaged in a non-violent sit-in in the office of their chancellor and threatening them with criminal and academic charges. This attempt to use police and university intimidation to silence the voices of students is unacceptable, and threatens the right of dissent upon which efforts aimed at creating social change depend. We as a community cannot stand idly by and allow institutions like the University of California to use such means to put down dissent. The students participating in this sit-in must immediately be released, all charges must be dropped, the university must committ to not pursuing any form of disciplinary action, and the Designated Suppliers Program must be adopted immediately.

Robert Dynes, President of the University of California
Phone number: 510-987-9074
Fax number: 510-987-9086
Email: Robert.dynes@ucop.edu

Chancellor France Cordova at UC Riverside: 951-827-5201
email: france.cordova@ucr.edu
fax: 951-827-3866

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau at UC Berkeley: 510-642-7464
email: chancellor@berkeley.edu
fax: 510-643-5499

UCR Protest

2006-04-12T00:22:00.000-07:00

David and I headed over to UC Riverside today for the Sweat-free protest. We were there for about three hours - when we first got there, there were near 300 people protesting; around 4 it dwindled to 50. There were some UCSD kids there too and it is always exciting to see all of us coming out to remind ourselves that it is one cause that we really are all fighting for.

It was fun brainstorming some sort of future action. It is going to involve a concert, pizza, and elephants.

2 upcoming events

2006-04-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

I. Candlelight Vigil and Procession to Support a Fair Immigration Policy (on 4/10/06 in Los Angeles)

II. Urge Governor Schwarzenegger to join the Coalition for Sweat-free Procurement and Workers Rights

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I. CANDLELIGHT VIGIL & PROCESSION (4/10/06)

WHEN: Monday, April 10 @ 5 PM
WHERE: La Placita Church, 535 N Main St
Los Angeles, CA
(Procession to Fletcher Brown Square)

APRIL 10 is a national day of action to stop anti-immigrant legislation from becoming law and to pass real, comprehensive immigration reform that provides a clear path to citizenship, unites families, and ensures workplace and civil rights protections for all. see National Immigrant Day of Justice.

For information on the Los Angeles Candlelight Vigil & Procession, contact:
* Elda Martinez, CARECEN,(213) 385-7800x127, emartinez-at-carecen-la.org [Spanish, English]
* Xiomara Corpeno, CHIRLA,(213) 201-4451, xcorpeno-at-chirla.org [Spanish, English]
** Su Yon Yi, NAKASEC, (323) 937-3703, syi-at-nakasec.org [English]
** Sungpyo Ma, KRC, (323) 937-3718, sungpyo-at-krcla.org [Korean, English]

Co-sponsored by: ACLU of Southern California, CARECEN, CHIRLA, CLUE, Colombian-American Citizens in Action, Dolores Mission, IDEPSCA, Korean Resource Center, LA Leadership Academy, NAKASEC, SEIU 1877, SEIU 434B, Southern California District Council of Laborers, Sweatshop Watch, and UNITE HERE! Local 11.

II. URGE GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER TO JOIN COALITION FOR SWEAT-FREE PROCUREMENT AND WORKERS RIGHTS

California passed SB 578 in October 2003 to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to buy goods made in sweatshops. Sweatshop Watch, along with many allies around the state, are urging Governor Schwarzenegger to join the newly forming Governor Coalition for Sweat-free Procurement and Workers Rights. The Coalition would explore strategies such as pooling states' resources for more cost-effective independent monitoring, and establishing a purchasing consortium to allow states to leverage purchasing power in support of sweat-free supplier factories.

Learn how you can urge Governor Schwarzenegger to join this Coalition, which could provide a much-needed vehicle for enforcing our state sweatfree procurement law more effectively.

sweatshop fashion show

2006-04-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

the show was a huge success and was written up in the daily trojan.

Students Strut for Labor Rights
Michael S. Stapleton
Issue date: 3/31/06

In front of Tommy Trojan Thursday, a group of 16 student models strutted, swaggered and sometimes even sashayed their ways down the catwalk.

This was no ordinary fashion show, though. The Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation sponsored the event to demonstrate its concern about the USC apparel being sold in the campus bookstore. As students made their way down the catwalk clad in USC apparel, David Romero, the emcee of the event, could be heard over a microphone educating the audience about sweatshop labor.

"Workers that make these clothes don't even earn a living wage," Romero said. "In Mexico, laborers often work for $4.50 a day, and even though the law prohibits their employers from forcing them to work more than eight hours per day, they are often forced to work 10 or 12 hours per day.

"The USC Pertusati Bookstore currently sells clothing manufactured by Nike, Russell Athletic, DW Authentic and Wide World Sportswear, among others. SCALE says that these corporations are utilizing sweatshop labor to produce the clothing found on campus.

"We chose to put on a fashion show to educate students about sweatshop labor and garner a bigger student base. This show is accessible to everybody, and we want a reaction from the spectators. Hopefully we'll pique people's interest," said Teresa Cheng, a freshman majoring in political science, who organized the event.The fashion show incited supportive reactions from the audience.

"People need to hear about what's really going on, and so many people aren't aware of the exploitation that's occurring. The show brought a crowd, even if people heard only a little, they still heard it," said Jasmine Mencias, a junior majoring in theater, who attended the event.

SCALE sent a letter recently to President Steven B. Sample asking him to make USC a member of the Workers' Rights Consortium, a national organization advocating better factory labor conditions. "The University of Southern California may be selling products made under sweatshop labor conditions; which could include the use of child labor, forced labor, inhumane working conditions, physical and verbal abuse, or possibly worse," the letter reads.

At one point during the show, a group of students gathered in front of the runway chanted slogans promoting SCALE's efforts. "Set an example, President Sample!" shouted some in the crowd. "USC plus WRC equals sweat free!" said others. The students who organized the show also garnered recognition from Paul Adler, a professor at the Marshall School of Business, and Curtis Marez, a professor from the USC School of Cinema-Television. Adler and Marez met with students on Thursday night in the United University Church to view short films documenting sweatshop abuse, followed by a discussion with the professors.

USC is a member of the Fair Labor Association, which SCALE says has serious shortcomings that joining the Workers' Rights Consortium would remedy. There are 81 universities in the United States that are members of both the Workers' Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association.In their letter to Sample, members of SCALE urge the president to take notice of USC's alleged support of companies that use sweatshop labor and point out USC's powerful position to support human rights.

"Sweatshop labor is needless suffering," SCALE members wrote in the letter, "and USC is in a unique position to bring about a position change."

way to go everybody!

haters can be helpers!

2006-03-31T13:44:00.000-08:00

right-wing USC-blogger hates on SCALE...

...popularity and awareness grow!

insane students, silly stunt
you filthy, sweatshop-supporting bourgeosie!
SCALE strikes again!
what's on the coke-dar?

thanks "cardinal martini!"

USC allows the fruits of child labor to be sold on campus? you’re kidding me!

2006-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

An article in the Daily Trojan gives the perspective of a student who grew up in a third world country and has difficulty with the laissez-faire attitude her fellow classmates take towards labor exploitation:

The designer imitation market has grown significantly over the years, expanding all over Asia, from China to Indonesia. These countries are "qualified" to participate in imitation markets, but the only qualification that allows their active participation in this immoral industry is their indifference to child labor. The majority of the factories that manufacture such unethical merchandise do so with the innocent hands of children. These victims of globalism work more than 10 hours a day - an eternity for youngsters - in the worst working environment imaginable.

...
What is even more frustrating is the fact that our administration pursues such unethical and illegal practice instead of prohibiting it.

we couldn't agree with you more, Ms. Chin. we could NOT agree with you more....

SCALE participates in Political Involvement Fair

2006-01-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

SCALE is highlighted in the Daily Trojan article:

At a table with the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation, Teresa Cheng, a freshman majoring in political science, applauded the ability of the involvement fair to raise awareness and increase publicity directly to students.
...
The long-term success of the PSA hinges on the assembly's permanent incorporation into the Program Board, said Sherman. "Being in Program Board allows more resources, particularly in expanding the normal network and reaching a completely new audience," he said.
...
Cheng agreed that the trial acceptance permitted "more access to publicity resources for events and would build a stronger face for registration." It is better to work together than independently for the causes under the PSA, Cheng said. "It's good to have dialogue with a lot of more progressive associations," she said.

chain reaction

2005-12-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

SCALE joins PSA,
PSA Joins Program Board,
SCALE gets university support!

Political assembly joins board:
Senate and Program Board approved the incorporation of PSA only on a trial basis.
By: Joanna Lin Issue date: 12/1/05

The Political Study Assembly, which was previously the Unruh Political Student Association, is an umbrella organization for 18 student groups involved with political activism.
…
By joining Program Board, even more progress can be made, Sherman said. "All of our organizations are really excited about this transition, going into Program Board and the possibilities (it brings)," he said… Between Senate and Program Board, $4,118 will be earmarked during the trial period for the assembly.
…
"We've had issues with representation and being officially recognized," said Míchel Martinez, a representative for the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation. It can be expensive and difficult to coordinate space, supplies and speakers, said Martinez, who hopes SCALE will be able to capitalize on resources made available to assemblies."It's important that assemblies exist; they help students get resources. And for small groups like ours, it's nice to be able to have other resources … (Those resources) are important in reviving an organization. Now we'll have more options to take advantage of," she said.

let's hear it for resources!

Daily Trojan editors endorse SCALE's struggle

2005-09-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

-- and put a fantastic piece in "From the Editors":

Two organizations are trying to make USC switch the factory-monitoring firms it uses to ensure partner companies comply with labor laws.USC Watch and the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation claim that USC's current factory monitor is not transparent enough in its dealings with the university and the companies the school partners with.
...
While Nike's human rights record can be debated ad nauseum, USC's record of paying attention to these students groups is clearly lacking. Few groups have the audacity to stage sit-ins at the president's office, and the groups' dedication, at the very least, should grant them a chance to argue their case.
...
If these groups are continually ignored, that shows a lackadaisical and detached attitude by University administration.The students at USC should have a voice that is heard loud and clear.

such pieces are part and parcel of the struggle -- they ensure first that we attain the highest ground, and win the ever important war of position.