2008 Woodie Awards
Voices for Justice leads fight against sweatshops
Cameron Summers
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
While some students might not realize it, Voices for Justice's "Sweat Free" committee has had a lasting effect on campus life. It was through that group's action, several years ago, that the coffee shop switched to Fair Trade coffee. More recently, the committee has been involved in efforts to get the campus to move towards fair trade clothing.
The committee has engaged in a number of meetings with campus organizations, giving a presentation on the conditions that sweatshop workers are made to labor in, as well as the economic and social damages caused by these sweatshops. The presentations also include a number of sellers who offer clothing of good quality at a cheap price--and most of which are located in the very countries that these sweatshops are primarily located in.
The presentation also serves to clear up a number of misconceptions. It compares the wage of a sweatshop laborer with the minimum living wage in the various countries that sweatshops are located in. Working conditions are explained through testimony by workers and human rights activists, and include long hours, no breaks, dehydration, hellish temperatures, dangerous machinery, and an oppressive management. The same sort of conditions we got rid of with Roosevelt's "New Deal" persist in Latin America and Asia.
The point of this effort is to get sweat-free clothing available in the bookstore, alongside the clothing that is available now. It is thought that a phased introduction of sweat-free clothing and other items, seeking the approval of the student body and the University administration for each step, would be the best course of action.
As of now, several campus organizations have agreed to support the Sweat Free committee's efforts, including Student Senate, Rockhurst Players, Alpha Phi Omega, and a contingent of other groups. Having acquired the support of the President of the University, the committee is seeking to approach the bookstore by the end of the year, ideally. It is possible that sweat-free options could be available in the university bookstore by the autumn of 2007.
To raise further awareness about this campaign, Voices for Justice is passing around a petition for students to give their support to this campaign. Another event, which will be held later this semester, is the "Fair Trade Fashion Show", which will display various alternatives to sweatshop clothing, including fair trade, home sewn or knitted, and thrift store clothing.
This grass-roots effort is part of a larger trend around the country, in which various campuses are going Sweat Free. It is thought that if enough such campaigns are successful, it could cause a sort of economic sea of change, however minor, demonstrating that sweatshop businesses are no longer practical.
The committee has engaged in a number of meetings with campus organizations, giving a presentation on the conditions that sweatshop workers are made to labor in, as well as the economic and social damages caused by these sweatshops. The presentations also include a number of sellers who offer clothing of good quality at a cheap price--and most of which are located in the very countries that these sweatshops are primarily located in.
The presentation also serves to clear up a number of misconceptions. It compares the wage of a sweatshop laborer with the minimum living wage in the various countries that sweatshops are located in. Working conditions are explained through testimony by workers and human rights activists, and include long hours, no breaks, dehydration, hellish temperatures, dangerous machinery, and an oppressive management. The same sort of conditions we got rid of with Roosevelt's "New Deal" persist in Latin America and Asia.
The point of this effort is to get sweat-free clothing available in the bookstore, alongside the clothing that is available now. It is thought that a phased introduction of sweat-free clothing and other items, seeking the approval of the student body and the University administration for each step, would be the best course of action.
As of now, several campus organizations have agreed to support the Sweat Free committee's efforts, including Student Senate, Rockhurst Players, Alpha Phi Omega, and a contingent of other groups. Having acquired the support of the President of the University, the committee is seeking to approach the bookstore by the end of the year, ideally. It is possible that sweat-free options could be available in the university bookstore by the autumn of 2007.
To raise further awareness about this campaign, Voices for Justice is passing around a petition for students to give their support to this campaign. Another event, which will be held later this semester, is the "Fair Trade Fashion Show", which will display various alternatives to sweatshop clothing, including fair trade, home sewn or knitted, and thrift store clothing.
This grass-roots effort is part of a larger trend around the country, in which various campuses are going Sweat Free. It is thought that if enough such campaigns are successful, it could cause a sort of economic sea of change, however minor, demonstrating that sweatshop businesses are no longer practical.
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