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CLR March Index
Labor Alerts: a service of Campaign for Labor Rights
Posted March 26, 2002
Table of Contents:
Coalition of Immokalee Workers - Boycott
Taco Bell (Florida)
Campaign for Labor Rights has recently begun working with the Coalition
of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a farmworker organization based in Immokalee,
Florida, on their national boycott of Taco Bell. The members of CIW
pick tomatoes that restaurants like Taco Bell buy from fresh tomato
producers in south central Florida. For years, CIW has been attempting
to meet with Taco Bell executives who have steadfastly refused to talk
to the workers about their situation. For this reason, CIW has launched
a national boycott of Taco Bell. CIW members who pick for Six-L's Packing
Co., one of Taco Bell's principle partners for the year-round supply
of tomatoes, receive sub-poverty wages, stagnant piece rates, no right
to overtime pay, no health insurance, no sick leave, no holiday leave,
and no pension. Six-L's pays today what the industry paid as a standard
piece rate over 20 years ago-40 cents per 32-pounds of tomatoes. And
Taco Bell has the power and responsibility to change this situation
for the workers who plant, cultivate, and harvest the tomatoes from
which they profit. If Taco Bell were to pay JUST ONE PENNY MORE per
pound for the tomatoes it buys from Florida growers, and the growers
were to pass that extra penny on to the workers, the rate paid to workers
could nearly double! CIW recently returned to Florida from a cross-country
caravan to Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, CA. The farmworkers with
2,000 of their allies, including Campaign for Labor Rights, confronted
Taco Bell profits from farmworker poverty. The tour was an amazing success
- check the CIW website for press coverage from around the world (www.ciw-online.org).
We are currently planning a speaking tour with Immokalee workers and
organizer to take place in VA, MD, DE, and DC from April 16-19. If you
are in that area and would like to host a tour stop, contact Campaign
for Labor Rights today! clr@clrlabor.org
The student arm of this campaign, "Boot the Bell," will be launched
this week as students across the country organize delegations to meet
with their dinning hall managers to discuss the relationship between
the food-service company, ARAMARK, an Taco Bell. In a letter that was
delivered to Taco Bell executives during the March 11th meeting in Irvine,
dozens of college, university and high school students announced their
intent to kick Taco Bell off their campuses and out of their dining
halls.
~ For more information, contact Campaign for Labor Rights, clr@clrlabor.org,
202-232-5002, or check out CIW on the Internet at, www.ciw-online.org
Noboa-Bonita Brand--Bananas (Ecuador)
More than 1400 workers at seven plantations producing for the Noboa
Company in Ecuador went on strike on February 25th to call for their
basic labor rights including overtime pay, health care benefits and
centers, a decent salary, and the right to a union. Since the strike,
120 banana workers have been fired and a police force has been stationed
on the plantation. In response to this anti-union intimidation, 300
banana workers marched in protest in nearby Guayquil on March 12th.
These new anti-union activities place renewed responsibility on the
Noboa company and its owner, Alvaro Noboa Ponton - who is expected to
run for president of Ecuador in the next election - to demonstrate respect
for Ecuadorian law and internationally recognized worker rights. There
are over 220,000 banana workers in Ecuador! The Noboa Company is the
fourth biggest banana company in the world (after Chiquita, Dole and
Del Monte) and owns the Bonita brand. The union has submitted to the
Labor Minister an application for legal registration. Assuming the Labor
Minister approves the registration of the new union, this will be the
first independent banana workers' union since the 1970s. The fight of
the Ecuadorian banana workers is being watched carefully by banana unions
throughout Latin America, whose wages and benefits are threatened by
the dominance of non-union, low-wage Ecuadorian banana exports. Take
Action Today! In order to launch an effective campaign in support of
these workers, we need to know where Bonita bananas are being sold -
check your produce department, and contact us if you find the Bonita
brand! Also, write a letter to the Noboa Company. Write the owner of
the Noboa Company, Alvaro Noboa Ponton. Urge Noboa to (a) reinstate
the fired workers, (b) comply with Ecuadorian law concerning worker
rights, (c) recognize the union, and (d) negotiate the union's demands
in good faith. Send the letter and the produce research to clr@clrlabor.org
mailto:clr@clrlabor.org.
~ For more information, clr@clrlabor.org,
202-232-5002, or visit US/LEAP in the web at: www.usleap.org
PCUN (Oregon)
CLR launched the "Stop Sweatshops in the Fields" Campaign in conjunction
with PCUN in 1999 in order to lend national support to their long-standing
boycott of NORPAC Foods. Through this educational and organizing campaign,
we completed several extensive speaking tours to campuses that use(d)
NORPAC products in their dining halls. The speaking tours not only gotten
the word out about the NORPAC boycott to student labor activists, but
also resulted in a number of companies cutting their contracts with
NORPAC. On February 15, PCUN suspended its 10-year boycott of NORPAC
after the union and the company reached an agreement to "create a framework
for managing farm labor relations." Then on Monday, February 25, in
a special legislative session, the Oregon Farm Bureau introduced a bill,
which calls for collective bargaining for farm workers but in actuality
severely undermines collective bargaining in agriculture. This is a
major blow to the recent agreement and to the negotiating process. PCUN
expects that Oregon Governor Kitzhaber will veto this legislation within
the next few days.
~ For more information, clr@clrlabor.org,
202-232-5002, or contact PCUN, www.pcun.org
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.
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)! 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. Last month,
COVERCO, a trusted, independent monitoring group based in Guatemala
concluded its investigation of the factories. When the group left the
area, worker reports of anti-union intimidation increased. Participants
of the violent mobs that attacked the unionists on July 18th and 19th
still enjoy impunity.
~ For more information, contact Campaign for Labor Rights, clr@clrlabor.org,
202-232-5002, or check www.usleap.org.
Mobilize for Global Justice April 19-22
in Washington, DC
The World Bank and IMF will host another round of meetings in Washington
D.C. April 20-21. These meetings come in the wake of the crisis in Argentina,
where the free-market policies pushed around the world by the World
Bank and IMF unraveled into a devastating economic situation for the
population. They also come after the collapse of the multinational-corporate-giant
Enron-a model of the abuses and strength of corporate power. The Mobilization
for Global Justice calls on activists from around the country to converge
in Washington, DC April 19-22 and make your voice heard. The protests
against the World Bank and the IMF will take place in solidarity and
cooperation with the mass mobilization against the US Intervention in
Colombia and the School of the Americas (SOA) and the April 20 March
on Washington to Stop the War at Home and Abroad. Marches planned on
each of these issues will converge into one mass rally.
~ For more information on the marches and on housing: riseup.net/april2002
www.riseup.net/april2002.
Tell Pizza Hut to Stop Using Pictsweet
Mushrooms
For 14 years, workers at Pictsweet Mushroom Farms in Ventura County
have tried to negotiate a United Farm Workers contract. Pictsweet has
ignored its workers desires and violated a host of state labor laws.
Pizza Hut is still using these mushrooms to make their pizzas! ~ Visit:
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/pizzahut/forward/xb8i6z4b86
~ Keep up with the Pizza Hut campaign at www.aflcio.org
www.aflcio.org ~ Learn more about
the struggles of other agricultural workers from the United Farmworkers
of America at www.ufw.org www.ufw.org
Garment Workers Launch Public Campaign
Against Forever 21
19 garment workers have joined together to launch a public campaign
against Forever 21, a popular retailer of young women's clothing. They
sewed the Forever 21 label in six different sweatshops in downtown Los
Angeles under deplorable conditions. Forever 21 is a multi-million dollar
company based in Los Angeles, with ninety-two stores around the country
and forty of those in California. An estimated 95% of its production
is done in the U.S. Do Won Chang is the company's president and co-founder
with his wife Jin Sook Chang. On March 10, as a part of the Taco Bell
Truth Tour, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers marched with the fired
workers against Forever 21 in Los Angeles. ~ For background information
go to: www.sweatshopwatch.org/swatch/f21.html
~ To get involved in the campaign contact: the Garment Worker Center
at 213-748-5866.E-mail: gwc@sweatshopwatch.org
mailto:gwc@sweatshopwatch.org
April 4th Student Labor Day of Action
This April 4, 2002, the Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) of Jobs
with Justice and the United States Student Association (USSA) along
with other student groups are again co-sponsoring a nationwide student
labor day of action for social and economic justice on this important
day in our country's history. April 4th, 2002, is the third annual National
Student Labor Day of Action, but it will differ from previous ones in
important ways. The rights of workers, especially those of immigrant
workers, have come under increasing attack since September 11th. Actions
around the country, whether or not they deal directly with this issue,
will reflect these changed circumstances.
~ For more information go to: www.jwj.org/SLAP/A4/2002.htm
"Duke University Boycotts Mt. Olive!"
On 21 March, after a week of intense action on the part of Duke students,
the university's administration decided to officially support the boycott
of Mt. Olive Pickles. This boycott is lead by the Farm Labor Organizing
Committee (FLOC). Duke students, "strongly encourage you to advance
the Mt. Olive Boycott campaign...as this is a pivotal industry in terms
of affecting farm labor policy, and Mt. Olive has a horrible record
of labor problems on their suppliers farms. The Mt. Olive case involves
everything from general labor issues, to immigrant rights and laws,
and environmental and environmental justice issues."
~ For more information on the Duke campaign, email Chris Paul: cjp2@duke.edu,
or Allison Brim: agb7@duke.edu.
~ For more on the Mt. Olive Boycott: www.floc.com
Boycott Bloomingdales: No Forced Labor
in Burma
Bloomingdales sells garments made in Burma. Garment companies in Burma
are controlled completely by the brutal military dictatorship that rules
the country. This regime has been criticized by the U.S. State Department,
the United Nations, Amnesty International, and others for brutal violations
of human rights: killing, torture, a modern form of slave labor, and
rape. The money spent in Bloomingdales on goods from Burma benefits
the dictatorship and means more suffering for the 50 million people
living in the country.
~ For more information: go to www.freeburmacoalition.org
www.freeburmacoalition.org
or call 202-547-5985.
Tell the Hudson's Bay: Eliminate Abuses
in Lesotho
The Ethical Trading Action Group (ETAG) presented the Hudson's Bay Company
(HBC) with two reports documenting serious labor rights abuses at an
HBC supply factory in the Southern African country of Lesotho. Hudson's
Bay promised to investigate the situation and report back to ETAG on
actions it was taking to correct the problems. HBC now refuses to give
ETAG its report. Instead, the company sent a copy of a letter addressed
to another organization indicating it may be cutting off the Sun Textiles
factory and running away from the problem. ETAG released a third report
documenting continuing sweatshop abuses at Sun Textiles and two additional
Hudson's Bay supply factories in Lesotho. The factories also reportedly
produce clothes for other major retailers, including Kmart, Gap and
Sears Roebuck. ~To take action, view background documents, visit: www.maquilasolidarity.org
www.maquilasolidarity.org
Summer Internship with Campaign for Labor
Rights in DC
Our Summer Internship Position has not yet been filled, so apply today!
CLR Summer interns help research campaigns, write Labor Alerts and the
Monthly Index, and mobilize our grassroots base on a variety of campaigns.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The stipend
is $750 (college credit may be available) - housing not provided. ~
Send you resume and cover letter to: clr@clrlabor.org,
Campaign for Labor Rights, Summer Internship Program, 1470 Irving Street,
NW, Washington, DC 20010.
Summer Internship with UNITE! in New York
UNITE! (Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees), is
a union on the forefront of the fight for low-wage, industrial workers.
As a progressive, activist union, UNITE! aggressively fights sweatshops
in this country and abroad. Internships will be in the following departments:
Research, Strategic Campaigns, The Stop Sweatshops Campaign, Organizing,
and other departments to be determined later. Internships are full time
and may include long, irregular hours. Stipend: 350$ a week, housing
cannot be provided.
~ For more information fax or e-mail resume to: Terri Smith, Organizing
Department Fax: (212) 489-0598, Email: tsmith@uniteunion.org
Midwest Academy Summer Internship Program
The Midwest Academy will be hiring 48 college students as summer interns.
Interns will work from Tuesday, June 4, through Friday, August 9 (ten
weeks). The stipend will be $2500. All interns will attend the Midwest
Academy five-day training in Direct Action Organizing as the first week
of the internship to learn a variety of organizing skills. Interns will
then be placed in different states and locations. Housing will not be
provided, so you must be in a location where you can arrange housing!
Access to a car will be essential for some placement locations. We will
provide assistance with transportation to Chicago for the 5-day training,
and housing during the Chicago training.
~For more info: first go to www.midwestacademy.com
www.midwestacademy.com,
then e-mail or call Judy Hertz (midwestacademy5@aol.com
mailto:midwestacademy5@aol.com
or 312/427-2304).
Rogers Park (IL) Community Action Network
Seeks Executive Director
The Rogers Park Community Action Network (RPCAN) is a dynamic action-oriented
grassroots membership organization made up of low and moderate-income
residents, as well as community organizations of Rogers Park. RPCAN
fights for social justice and community empowerment on issues such as
gentrification, economic justice, affordable housing, and school reform.
Under the hands-on board, the Executive Director is responsible for
providing overall direction, administration and fundraising for RPCAN.
A chief responsibility of the Director is the execution of direct-organizing
efforts in the context of housing, gentrification and other issues identified
by the board and membership. Position is available immediately and resumes
accepted until position filled. Equal Opportunity Employer.
~ For more information contact: RPCAN Search Committee, 1545 W. Morse,
Chicago, IL 60626. E-mail: morseoffice@juno.com
mailto:morseoffice@juno.com
Resource Center of the Americas (MN) Seeks
Executive Director.
The Resource Center of the Americas (RCTA) is seeking an energetic and
committed advocate of human rights, with the ability to understand,
develop, articulate and facilitate an agenda for change in U.S.- Latin
American relations, especially with respect to U.S. foreign policy,
trade and corporate globalization, human rights, and immigration. We
are seeking a director committed to the mission of the organization,
with experience in leading an organization through changing political,
economic, and social environments; strong public speaking and organizational,
financial and people management skills; ability to lead a diverse workforce;
and an understanding of or experience in Latin America. Strong preference
for the ability to speak Spanish. Closing Date: April 19, 2002. Equal
Opportunity Employer. ~ For complete job description and application
information contact: Cynthia Breslauer at the Resource Center of the
Americas at 612-276-0788 or download information at www.americas.org
STARC seeks full time Field Organizing
Consultant.
STARC Alliance (Students Transforming and Resisting Corporations) is
a two and a half year old national youth and student network dedicated
to challenging corporate power and fighting for social, racial, economic,
and environmental justice. Our current campaign focuses are the Free
Trade Area of the Americas, Socially Responsible & Community Investment,
Peaceful Justice, and Fair Trade. We seek a full-time Field Organizing
Consultant for the 2002-2003 academic year. The job will last at least
12 months. Applications are due by: 3pm PST, May 1, 2002
~ For more information about STARC, the position, or the application,
please call Laura Close at 503.247.5995. Web: www.starcalliance.org
www.starcalliance.org
National Organizers Alliance Seeks Executive
Director
The National Organizers Alliance (NOA) is seeking an executive director
to run its national office in Washington D.C., develop and direct programs,
manage staff (typically 3-4 people) and raise the annual budget. Consistent
with NOA's commitment to recruit and hire a diverse staff, Women and
People of Color are strongly encouraged to apply. For ten years, NOA
has worked nationally to advance progressive organizing for social,
economic and environmental justice and to support, challenge and nurture
the people of all ages who do that work. Salary for the Executive Director
position is in the mid-40's and is negotiable and will be based on experience.
Excellent benefits. Deadline to apply: May 3, 2002
~ For more information: visit www.noacentral.org
www.noacentral.org/. To apply:
please send, fax or e-mail resume, cover letter and professional writing
sample to: Search Committee, c/o National Organizers Alliance, 715 G
Street, SE, Washington DC 20003, fax 202-543-2462, e-mail: info@noacentral.org.
STITCH Women's Language School Delegation
- May 25 to June 2
The STITCH women's delegation "WOMEN, WORK, AND TRADE: Organizing for
Justice in the Global Economy" combines excellent Spanish instruction
with an in-depth look at the economic situation facing women workers
in Guatemala. Delegates will spend five mornings learning Spanish with
one-on-one instruction. In the afternoons, delegates will talk with
the women battling conditions in the booming apparel-for-export (or
maquila) industry nearby. Then, the group will travel to the western
highlands to learn about the feminization of agricultural labor and
the challenges workers face in fighting for just conditions. This delegation
is open to women only. The cost is $800 and includes housing, all meals,
language instruction, and domestic travel. Participants must pay their
own way to Guatemala City and cover incidental costs. Scholarships are
available. To reserve your space in the delegation, please send $75
by April 20 to Hannah Frisch at 4933 S. Dorchester, Chicago, IL 60615.
Full fee is due by May 1, 2002. ~ Please email Liz O'Connor for an application
at stitchdc@earthlink.net
mailto:stitchdc@earthlink.net.
Find out more about STITCH at www.STITCHonline.org
www.STITCHonline.org.
Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the
Environment Gathering
The third annual membership meeting of the ASJE will be held on Saturday
and Sunday, April 6-7, at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.
The weekend's activities will be focused on building cooperation between
labor and environmental activists through presentations and discussions
on economic globalization, toxics, energy policies, economic recovery,
corporate accountability, and more. Hands-on workshops will also cover
the culture of the labor and environmental movements, skills development,
and building "blue-green" relationships at the community level.
~ For more information, check www.asje.org,
or (503)736-9777, email admin@asje.org
mailto:admin@asje.org
Defenders Defending Defenders Delegation--April
14 to 21, 2002
The shocking assassination of our friend and colleague, Mexican human
rights attorney Digna Ochoa, in October 2001, had a profound effect
on all those connected to her and her work. In the wake of the tragedy,
human rights groups committed to carefully monitor the investigation
into her death, to assure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Months later, the official investigation has produced no concrete results,
and the case has lost profile in the media and is escaping public scrutiny.
To keep the pressure on for an honest and thorough investigation, a
delegation of North American human rights and social justice advocates
will travel to Mexico on the six-month anniversary of Digna's assassination.
This delegation welcomes representatives of human rights and social
justice organizations, and grassroots groups. The cost of the delegation
is $275, which includes hotels and ground transportation within Mexico.
Participants are responsible for the cost of food and travel expenses
to Mexico. ~If you would like to participate in this delegation or have
any questions, please contact: Global Exchange (415) 255-7296 ext.239
or carleen@globalexchange.org
mailto:carleen@globalexchange.org
or Mexico Solidarity Network (415) 621-8100 or msn@mexicosolidarity.org
mailto:msn@mexicosolidarity.org
Immigrant Rights Tour - April
The Mexico Solidarity Network and the National Coalition for Dignity
and Amnesty for Undocumented Workers seek community, religious and university-based
hosts for a speaking tour on immigrant rights and the effects of 9-11.
Presentations and workshops will take place in the month of April in
the South, Southwest and Atlantic Coast regions. Our workshops and public
presentations will: expose the real-life problems faced by undocumented
workers and how these problems have been complicated by recent immigrant
bashing, examine immigration in the context of corporate-centered globalization,
discuss the need for general amnesty for undocumented workers, and temporary
residence for newcomers. ~To schedule a workshop or public presentation
contact: Macrina Cardenas, Mexico Solidarity Network Tlf: (202) 544
9355. E-mail macrina@mexicosolidarity.org
mailto:macrina@mexicosolidarity.org
ACERCA Green Paper #2
Green Paper - Central American Region: The Linchpin and Achilles Heel
of Corporate Globalization produced by ACERCA, features articles and
information on: Plan Puebla Panama (PPP), including a map of the proposed
highway network, Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), Plan Colombia,
Politics and History (past and present) of the countries in Central
America, World Bank and International Monetary Fund's involvement in
the region, including case studies of their roles in Nicaragua and Guatemala;
plus Central American debt statistics, photos and more! The Central
American Green Paper is available for purchase for $3 (includes postage)
with discounts for bulk orders.
~ For more information contact: Lauren at (802) 863-0571, E-mail acerca@sover.net
mailto:acerca@sover.net
~ To learn more about ACERCA go to: www.acerca.org
www.acerca.org
Witness for Peace Delegation to Colombia
- July 5-17, 2002
Colombia has endured over forty years of armed conflict between the
national army, guerillas, paramilitaries and drug lords. The victims
of this violence have overwhelmingly been civilians. Into the mix, the
United States has approved over $1.3 billion in mostly military aid
and has plans to contribute over $1billion more to the region. U.S.
sponsored fumigation is destroying the delicate Amazonian ecosystem,
and support for the Colombian military has been accompanied by escalation
in violence. Applications for the 'Civilians and the Environment in
the War on Drugs' delegation due by May 1, 2002. ~ For an application
and more information contact: Kathleen Baldoni, Witness for Peace Great
Lakes, 239 East 2nd St. Perrysburg, OH 43551, (419) 874-1863. E-mail:
wfpgl@witnessforpeace.org
mailto:wfpgl@witnessforpeace.org
Web: < http://witnessforpeace.org/travel/schedule.html
>
Proposed Alternative to Sweatshop Apparel
NoSweat, a union-made casual apparel brand on the making, is trying
to gauge the level of support they can expect from the progressive community
for their anti-sweatshop initiative before they begin production. "What
we're doing is pretty simple--providing a living wage to union producers
here and in the developing world, a competitive product for consumers
and a reasonable return for investors. We can do all that if we don't
have to advertise. That's the big if. Will the community spread the
word about a for-profit venture? On the plus side, we don't compete
with the existing non-profits for scarce resources and attention!" Please
provide comments, criticisms, advice and ideas.
~ For more information go to: < http://NoSweatApparel.com
>
"Masochistic Capitalists" By Naomi Klein
"On the first day of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil,
the hallways were buzzing with rumors of defections from the North.
Top delegates were jumping ship from the World Economic Forum in New
York and coming to Porto Alegre instead: a European prime minister,
World Bank directors, even corporate executives... The WSF was founded
as an alternative to the annual gathering of the top 1,000 corporations,
world leaders and opinion-makers who usually meet in Davos, Switzerland
but this year met in New York City... But with these new high-powered
arrivals, the WSF now risked turning from a clear alternative into a
messy merger: teams of photographers trailed politicians; market researchers
from PricewaterhouseCoopers trolled hotel lobbies, looking for opportunities
to 'dialogue.'" ~ For full article: www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4356348,00.html
"It's Like Getting Fleeced"
Cotton mill workers at a Martinsville, Va., firm will soon be joining
the thousands of U.S. textile workers left behind in a landscape of
plants 'closed by globalization.' Starting in the mid-1990s, with the
passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, companies began
to suffer from foreign competition and falling prices. The more labor-intensive
apparel work went first, with sewing shops moving to Mexico... After
the Asian financial crisis of 1997, which devalued currencies, overseas
textiles became even cheaper... The final blow was the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, according to textile lobbyists, which left the industry with
the bleakest outlook since the Great Depression." An article by Jeffrey
Gettleman, appeared in the Los Angeles Times 20th Feb, 2002 ~ To purchase
full article: go to the archives link at www.latimes.com
www.latimes.com
"We Are Not Machines"
A new report has found that Indonesian Nike and Adidas workers are paid
so little they are forced to separate from their children. It reveals
that workers are living in extreme poverty, with full time wages as
low as $US2 a day. The report was released internationally by Oxfam
Community Aid Abroad (Australia), Oxfam Canada, the Clean Clothes Campaign
(Europe), Global Exchange (USA) and the Maquila Solidarity Network (Canada).
~ Find the report: www.caa.org.au/campaigns/nike/reports/machines/presskit/index.html
~ For a Media pack (including high-resolution pictures) contact: Media
Liaison Coordinator, James Nichols, 61 2 8204 3900 or 61 408 387 460,
E-mail: jamesn@caa.org.au mailto:jamesn@caa.org.au
Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF)
New Website
Student Action with Farmworkers' mission is to bring students and farmworkers
together to learn about each other's lives, share resources and skills,
improve conditions for farmworkers, and build diverse coalitions working
for social change. SAF accomplishes its mission by coordinating summer
internships, providing year-round opportunities for direct service,
and carrying out community education, advocacy, and community and labor
organizing work. ~ View the site: www.saf-unite.org
www.saf-unite.org
"Mugabe and Unions on Collision Course"
"Zimbabwe's trade unions have led opposition to President Robert Mugabe
in recent years. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, ZCTU, was by
far the most powerful group involved in the creation of the Movement
for Democratic Change in 1999. The MDC candidate who officially lost
the recent presidential election, Morgan Tsvangirai, led the organization
until he entered the political arena. And it is no surprise to see that
the ZCTU is in the forefront of the post-election protests." Article
by Joseph Winter. ~ For full article go to: < http://labourstart.org
>
~ For more information on Zimbabwe labor movement go to: www.africaonline.co.zw/theworker/index.html
"Barcelona Protest Pulls 100,000 on Eve
of EU Summit"
March 15, 2002, "Some 100,000 trade unionists filled the streets of
Barcelona calling for a "social Europe" in a protest called ahead of
this weekend's EU summit in the Catalan capital, police and organizers
said. Demonstrators marched behind a banner demanding full employment
and social rights in the European Union, in a mobilization called by
the Confederation of European Trade Unions, with representatives from
across the 15-member body. Several thousand people also joined a demonstration
called by the Barcelona Social Forum, which has united around 50 political
parties, trade unions and protest groups ahead of the weekend summit."
Article by Agence France Presse. ~For full article go to: < http://dc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19087
> or www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0315-06.htm
"The Trouble with Tomatoes"
"[Lucas] Benitez is one of the founding members of the Coalition of
Immokalee Workers (www.ciw-online.org
www.ciw-online.org), which has
recently launched a national boycott of Taco Bell to protest its long-term
"partnership" with Six L's Packing Company, one of the largest tomato
producers in the United States. They want to spotlight the miserable
working conditions and widespread poverty in the fields surrounding
Immokalee, the small Florida town that forty years ago was the centerpiece
of Edward R. Murrow's historic documentary The Harvest of Shame." Article
by Mica Rosenberg ~ For full article go to: www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=special&s=rosenberg20020318
~ Also visit: www.latimes.com/editions/orange/la-000018194mar12.story
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