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CLR January Index
Labor Alerts: a service of Campaign for Labor Rights
Campaign for Labor Rights Monthly Index -- 11, 700 Subscribers
Posted January 21, 2002
Table of Contents:
PCUN (Oregon)
PCUN is Oregon's union of farmworkers, nursery and reforestation workers;
Oregon's largest Latino organization. NORPAC Foods, is a grower-owned
food processor comprised of 250 growers in western Oregon who own and
control the $260 million a year company. The NORPAC member growers have
steadfastly refused to negotiate with farmworkers employed on their
farms, much less recognize the farmworkers' union. To get NORPAC to
come to the table, PCUN called for an international boycott of all NORPAC
products in 1992-over nine years ago! CLR launched the "Stop Sweatshops
in the Fields" Campaign in conjunction with PCUN in 1999. Through this
educational and organizing campaign, we have completed several extensive
speaking tours to campuses that use(d) NORPAC products in their dining
halls. The campaign draws parallels between the conditions faced by
apparel workers in sweatshops around the world with those faced by commercial
agricultural workers in the fields of the US. In both environments,
workers endure long hours in physically dangerous environments for low
pay and find it difficult to organize or speak up about substandard
conditions for fear of being fired. The speaking tours have not only
gotten the word out about the NORPAC boycott to student labor activists,
but have also resulted in a number of companies cutting their contracts
with NORPAC. Among the companies now respecting the boycott are Gardenburger,
Bon Appetite, and ARAMARK. Recently Sodexho, the largest non-commercial
food service provider in the world, has given NORPAC a deadline of February
15th to work with PCUN to establish a clear, just collective bargaining
process enforced by a neutral third party. If NORPAC fails to meet this
deadline, Sodexho has indicated they will end their purchases of NORPAC
products.
The "Stop Sweatshops in the Fields" Campaign will continue through
this spring academic semester. If you are a student at a college or
university whose dining halls are run by Compass, also called Chartwells
or SCOLAREST, contact us today!
~For more information, clr@clrlabor.org,
202-232-5002.
Choishin and Cimatextiles (Guatemala)
The workers at the Cimatextiles and Choishin factories, both owned by
a Korean-based company called Choi & Shin's, went public with their
effort to form a union at each plant at the beginning of July, 2001.
Shortly afterwards, harassment and intimidation of the union supporters
escalated into mob attacks reportedly orchestrated by company supervisors.
The Guatemalan Labor Minister facilitated negotiations between the union
and the company, which resulted in a rapid agreement on July 25th. Despite
this agreement, those who participated in the mob attacks against union
supporters have enjoyed impunity and have not faced appropriate disciplinary
action agreed to by the company and the Guatemalan government. The two
factories produce for Talbots Inc. and Liz Claiborne among other retailers.
In August and again in October, CLR asked you to write letters to Liz
Claiborne urging the company to pressure Choi and Shin's to respect
workers' right to freedom of association. Over 2,300 letters were sent
in all (thanks for sending us copies)! Liz Claiborne initially dismissed
the reports of violence in the factory, but then moved to intervene
with its contractor. After the mob violence, Liz Claiborne took the
unusual step of sending a letter directly to the workers that effectively
disputed threats by local management to close. The letter stated that
Liz Claiborne supports the right of workers to choose to join or to
not join a union and, in an effort to counter threats of the plant closing,
that Liz Claiborne will continue business at the Choishin and Cimatextiles
factories as long as this right is respected. Liz Claiborne has also
voiced its support for sanctions against those who participated in the
violent attacks. On December 6th, as part of a national effort, labor
rights supporters across the US called Guatemalan Consulate offices
and the Embassy to protest the situation at Choi and Shin's. To date,
workers continue to report physical and sexual assault, being pressured
to resign from the factory, and threats of blacklisting and factory
closure. Participants of the violent mobs that attacked the unionists
on July 18th and 19th still enjoy impunity.
Take action NOW! Contact Talbots, Inc., and inform the company that
you understand it is being supplied by Choi & Shin's factories in Guatemala.
Ask Talbots to urge Choi & Shin's to respect worker rights and to sanction
the participants in the violent mob that attacked the union supporters
in July, 2001. (Do not ask Talbots to leave Choi & Shin's!) Contact:
Arnold B. Zetcher, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Talbots, Inc. One Talbots Drive, Hingham, Massachusetts 02043; Tel:
781-749-7600; Fax: 781-749-0865. Please send us copies of your letters:
clr@clrlabor.org
~For more information, check www.usleap.org,
or contact Campaign for Labor Rights, clr@clrlabor.org.
The Taco Bell Truth Tour, Alternative
Spring Break
Get on the bus this Spring Break! Join the Taco Bell Truth Tour as farmworkers,
students and community activists hit the road to demand accountability
from corporate giant Taco Bell. From March 1-17, tour participants will
cross the country (from Florida to California) to spread the truth about
the exploitative relationship between the fast-food industry and farm
worker poverty. Reserve your seats on the Taco Bell Truth Tour now!
Transportation, housing and food are free. The only cost to you is transportation
to catch up with the tour.
~For more information, check: www.ciw-online.org
Tell Vons/Safeway: Keep Boycotting Picksweet
Mushrooms
For 14 years, workers at Picksweet Mushroom Farms in Ventura County
north of Los Angeles have tried to negotiate a United Farm Workers contract.
Picksweet has ignored its workers desires and violated a host of state
labor laws. Picksweet workers ask consumers to help them ensure Vons
and Safeway continue to keep Picksweet mushrooms off their shelves until
a union contract with the Ventura, Calif. plant is signed. Email Vons
and Safeway. Go to www.ufw.org/ufw/e-mail.htm
and send your e-mail today!
~For more information on the Farm Worker Movement visit our web site
at www.ufw.org.
Sodexho Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
Ten current and former managers have filed a class action racial discrimination
against Sodexho, the world's largest food service provider. Recently,
Campaign for Labor Rights and PCUN have campaigned against Sodexho for
the companies use of NORPAC products.
~For more information, see the HERE website, www.eyeonsodexho.org
Rhode Island Worker Rights Board Hearing
a Success!
On Dec. 19th, one month after Rosa Ruiz Barrera died in a tragic car
accident returning from a fish-processing plant, the RI Workers Rights
Board held a hearing at St. Teresa's Church in front of over 125 people
in attendance. Testimony included charges of sub-minimum wage pay ($5.70/hr)
- substantiated by the temporary agency owner -, lack of overtime pay,
and sexual harassment.
~For more information and the Board's rulings: www.rijwj.org/WorkersRights.htm
Boycott See's Candy, National Day of Action
on Feb. 14th
43% of the world's cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast, a country where
child slave labor still exists on cocoa plantations. There, children
work long hours, frequently receive harsh beatings, and are given barely
enough to eat. Cocoa workers who are paid wages so low that they live
at the edge of poverty and starvation. Although some US chocolate companies
have signed an agreement to end child slavery by 2004, See's has not
yet done so. On February 14th, groups across the US will gather at See's
candy stores to deliver thousands of special Valentines asking See's
to have a heart and: 1. Take immediate steps to end child slavery and;
2. Commit to purchasing at least five percent of their cocoa as Fair
Trade Certified.
~For more information, valentines, and flyers, contact melissa@globalexchange.org.
Labor Abuses in Sri Lanka's Free Trade
Zones Condemned
Anti-union practices by foreign companies operating in Sri Lanka's Free
Trade Zones have come under attack from the Brussels-based International
Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation. According to Neil
Kearney, General Secretary of ITGLWF, the examples of such behavior
include employing baton-wielding security guards to intimidate union
members, telling new workers not to join the union, firing or transferring
workers who protest at unfair conditions, claiming that unions are 'illegal'
in the Free Trade Zones, threatening to hand union activists over to
the police for their legitimate activities, and refusing to attend meetings
called by the labor authorities.
~For more information, www.itglwf.org
Chinese Toys of Misery
A new, in-depth report documenting harsh sweatshop conditions, 17- cent-an-hour
wages, and exposure to toxic chemicals in factories in China producing
toys for major U.S. companies including Mattel, Hasbro, Toys R' Us,
Wal-Mart, and Disney, is available from the National Labor Committee's
~For the full report, check their web-site at www.nlcnet.org.
Development Coordinator for the East Timor
Action Network
Develop and maintain sources of financial support for ETAN to continue
its work with the East Timorese. Requirements: Proven track record in
grant research, proposal writing & fundraising campaigns; strong communication,
research & organizational skills; self-motivated. East Timor knowledge
desirable. Part-time position, location flexible, rolling application
deadline, $10,500. ~To apply, please send cover letter, resume and writing
sample (maximum 5 pages) to: East Timor Action Network, Development
Coordinator Position, PO Box 15774, Washington, DC 20003. Fax: 202-544-6118.
E-mail: karen@etan.org
Consultancy Position for U of Iowa Center
for Human Rights
The University of Iowa Center for Human Rights is seeking an Investigative
Researcher on a two-year consultancy basis to conduct empirical research
on the impact of voluntary codes of conduct relative to the elimination
of sweatshop labor conditions in work sites worldwide that produce for
the US market. Desired Qualifications: Graduate degree from an accredited
university (international affairs, law, labor); Knowledge of empirical
research and research design; Strong written and oral communications
skills Willingness to travel extensively; Proficiency in one or more
foreign languages (especially Chinese and Spanish); 3-5 years experience
in international human rights and/or international worker rights. ~To
apply, send cover letter, resume, 3 references, and writing samples
to:
Global Sweatshop Labor Research Initiative (GSLRI), UI Center for
Human Rights, 354 International Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa
City, IA 52242, (319) 335-3900, uichr@uiowa.edu
Student Action with Farm Workers Offers
Paid Summer Internships
Application deadline: February 11, 2002. Duration of internship: June
2-August 10, 2002. Location: Rural North & South Carolina. Basic furnished
housing provided, $1,200 living stipend (half raised by participant),
$1,500 educational award, Round-trip airfare to the Carolinas (for farmworker
students only), Leadership development, Applicants may apply for academic
credit. Advanced Spanish skills are required for most placements. ~To
Apply, contact Libby Manly, Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF), 1317
West Pettigrew Street, Durham, NC 27705. phone 919-660-3652, fax 919-681-7600,
levante@duke.edu,http://cds.aas.duke.edu/safhttp://cds.aas.duke.edu/saf">levante@duke.edu,http://cds.aas.duke.edu/saf>/
Labor Notes Seeks Editorial/Program Staffer
Labor Notes is hiring a full-time editorial/program staff position in
the Detroit office. Applicants need writing/editing skills, who can
follow a number of 'beats,' and work on a variety of tasks, projects
and events. A car and driver's license are a must. If hired, applicant
will work 40 hours a week, in addition to attending demonstrations,
speaking trips, and other events on weekends. Labor Notes wants applicants
looking to build a more democratic and socially conscious labor movement;
applicant should value building a network of African-American activists.
The salary is $22,000 a year, plus medical benefits and generous vacation
time. ~To Apply, send resumes to Marsha Niemeijer, Labor Notes, 7435
Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI 48210. Fax: 313-842-0227. Email: marsha@labornotes.org
Witness for Peace Delegation to Mexico-April
2002.
See first-hand the effects of free trade on Mexico during a Witness
for Peace delegation from April 20th - May 1st 2002. This delegation
will study what is happening to Mexican farmers and labor unions as
a result of NAFTA through activities such as talking with Mexican Government
officials and displaced farmers. Open to people age 15 and older Cost:
$925 plus airfare--this covers meals, lodging, facilitation, in-country
training, extensive reading materials, translation and ground transportation
in Mexico. Registration Deadline: $100 deposit due ASAP ~For an application
or more information, please contact Joanne Ranney at Witness for Peace
New England, 802-434-3233, wfpne@witnessforpeace.org
World Economic Forum Mobilization-Jan.
31-Feb. 4
The World Economic Forum is a secretive consortium of the thousand most
powerful corporations on the planet. Join us as we show the World Economic
Forum that the struggle for global liberation is not over; if anything,
it's only beginning. There will be two days of workshops, trainings
and speakers, followed by two days of action. The action is taking place
at Columbia University in New York City, from Thursday, January 31 through
Sunday, February 3, with demonstrations continuing on February 4.
~For more information, www.studentsforglobaljustice.org/,
www.anotherworldispossible.com/,
www.accnyc.org/
Guatemala Delegation on Genocide-March
2002
NISGUA DELEGATION-SPRING 2002 Meet with organizations that have witnessed
first-hand the impunity in Guatemala, speak with human rights workers
who have received threats and acts of intimidation, and learn why they've
turned to NISGUA accompaniment for help. Talk with representatives from
the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, which has helped 20
Mayan communities bring charges of genocide against two former dictators.
Receive up-to-date and face-to-face information on the current situation
in Guatemala and learn what you can do to help!
~For more information, or for an application, contact Carrie Ferrence
at NISGUA: 202-518-7638 or nisgua@igc.org.
Bill Moyers: Trading Democracy Documentary
A documentary called, "Trading Democracy," reveals how an obscure provision
hidden in NAFTA can cost taxpayers millions of dollars when multinational
corporations sue the government over environmental and health laws that
threaten their profits. ~Film Premieres: February 5, at 10:00 p.m. (ET)
on PBS (check local listings)
Pan Puebla Panama Delegations to Nicaragua-March
2002
March 3-17, 2002. This two week investigative delegation will look into
a number of issues, emphasizing two major points: 1) illegal logging
in Nicaragua's North Atlantic Autonomous Region ; and 2) a major port
expansion by a U.S. corporation in Bilwi/Puerto Cabezas. The cost of
the trip (including food, housing and Nicaragua travel) is $640.
~For more information, contact, Orin Langelle, co-Coordinator, ACERCA,
POB 57, Burlington, VT 05402. (802) 863-0571, (802) 864-8203 Fax, Email:
orinL@acerca.org.
"Textiles and Terrorism" By Lael Brainard
"In recent months, a little-known but dramatic struggle has been raging
between the leaders of the American-led international antiterrorism
coalition and Americans who are determined to preserve jobs in the textile
and apparel industry. It is a microcosm of the debate over trade: pitting
America's broad interests as a global superpower - a nation of consumers
and a home to world-class exporters as well as an international political
leader - against workers and companies struggling to survive in the
international marketplace." ~For full article, www.nytimes.com/2001/12/27/opinion/27BRAI.html?ex=1010998794&ei=1&en=
"Olympic Torchbearer Runs Barefoot Through
Philadelphia in Solidarity with
Nike Workers in Indonesia" Human rights activist and Olympic torchbearer
Leslie Kretzu ran barefoot through the streets of Philadelphia as an
act of solidarity with Nike's overseas factory workers. ~For full article:
www.webactive.com/pacifica/exile/dn20011224.html
"How the IMF Messed Up Argentina" by Mark
Weisbrot
Argentina's current economic woes date back to their instatement of
the fixed value exchange rate. The IMF helped set up a pegged exchange
rate through huge loans, which were contingent upon a 'zero-deficit.'
All of these factors contributed to the current crisis. ~For full article:
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=112897&group=webcast
"The Anti-terror Bandwagon"
As the Bush administration places limitations on civil liberties at
home, many foreign leaders have used this opportunity to curtail the
liberties of their political adversaries, sometimes with U.S. approval.
~For full article: www.nytimes.com/2001/12/28/opinion/28FRI2.html?ex=1010668472&ei=1&en=
c4e6dcd6345fdf3b
"Fast Track to Nowhere" By Robert E. Lighthizer
This article describes the political trouble in store for Republicans
as a result of their passing of Fast Track this winter. It's a New York
times article from January 3, 2002 and can be found at www.nytimes.com
Nike Protest Targets Tiger Woods
In a recent protest against Nike sweatshops, protesters targeted Tiger
Woods on his way to a charity dinner in New Zealand. ~For full article:
www.melbourne.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=21031&group=webcast
"For Clothing Makers, It's Cut or be Cut"
by Leslie Kaufman
January is when retailers sell their unsold merchandise back to apparel
manufacturers, thereby causing many of them to go bankrupt. ~For full
article: www.nytimes.com/2002/01/06/business/yourmoney/06APPA.html?ex=10114370
Please send entries for next month's edition of Campaign for Labor
Rights'
In Solidarity,
Campaign for Labor Rights Staff
202-232-5002
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