ON CAMPUS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: With the support of university students nationwide, eight garment workers have won their struggle against their former sweatshop employer. Today, they will announce a settlement at a press conference at the University of Southern California. In November, the workers came forward to file a federal lawsuit against J.H. Design Group, a garment factory where they worked sewing jackets for USC, UCLA, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Nike, Reebok, and Disney, among others. The lawsuit alleged sweatshop conditions, including: * Working seven days a week; * Working 10-12 hours a day; * Being forced to sew in their homes until midnight and on the weekends to meet quotas; * Receiving sub-minimum wages, often without overtime pay; * Illegal firings for speaking out about sweatshop conditions; and * Inhumane treatment, including verbal abuse and subjection to racial slurs. Approximately four months after the lawsuit was filed, J.H. Design Group agreed to settle the case with the eight garment workers for $172,000, which includes payment of back wages and compensation for the workers who were fired . . . "This is the first victory for sweatshop workers who used university codes of conduct as tools to demand justice," said Nikki Fortunato Bas, program coordinator of Sweatshop Watch.
SWEATSHOP WATCH http://www.sweatshopwatch.org
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEB SITE: Because of the strike by 1,900 CWA members against The Ohio State University on Monday, May 1, there will be some changes in the services provided to students, faculty, and staff, which are outlined below . . .
-- Academics Classes, laboratories, and libraries will continue normal operations. -- Campus Bus Service Monday to Friday service will be reduced; there will be no weekend service . . . -- All other bus service will be discontinued, including charters and shuttle service for events at the Schottenstein Center. -- Parking Garages and lots will remain open. -- Should the strike continue through the weekend of May 6-7, residence hall students will be permitted to park in any unrestricted A, B, or C space on campus from 4 p.m. Friday until noon Monday. -- There will be reduced staffing of booths at garages. Priority will be medical center facilities. -- Mail/Package Shipment Overnight Package Delivery DHL, UPS, and Fed-Ex pick-up will not be available. -- Deliveries may not be made to university addresses by these firms, so customers needing their services should have mail sent to an off-campus address. -- Campus Mail service will be very restricted -- Outgoing US Mail should be mailed at an off-campus location. -- International Mail Retrieval and processing of international air mail will not be available through Campus Mail. -- Delivery of supplies Non-essential items (office supplies, paper, computers) will not be delivered. -- Vending machines Food and drink vending machines will not be restocked. -- Housekeeping services will be prioritized, with trash removal and restroom cleaning coming first and other services provided as time allows. -- Routine maintenance may be deferred, but emergency services will be provided. -- Dumpsters on loading docks will be emptied, though the schedule may be slowed. -- In buildings cleaned by OSU employees, there will be limited trash removal and restroom cleaning. Some buildings have been supplied with large trash cans on each floor, and occupants are encouraged to empty their personal wastebaskets into these cans or the loading dock dumpsters.
OHIO STATE TODAY http://www.osu.edu/osutoday/cwa/