Group supports strike

Students inform about employees' poor environment

By Kurt Esposito
Assistant Campus Editor

The Purdue Students Against Sweatshops gave out information on Wednesday that supported the factory workers in Mexico who stopped working to protest poor working conditions.

From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the Purdue organization stood with signs and yellow and black balloons as its members handed out leaflets to students passing through the Stewart Center lobby.

They are supporting the workers of the Kukdong International-Mexico factory in Altlixco, Mexico. Since Jan. 9, 800 of the 850 people employed at factory have held a work stoppage in protest of poor working conditions. The workers are also asking for the right to form a union.

The factory produces Nike apparel for many colleges and universities, including Purdue. Nemin Almassi, director of the Purdue Students Against Sweatshops, said, "We want Nike to make a resolution and not deny responsibility."

Doug Sabel, director of the University Contracting Group, said Nike is an official Purdue licensee and is authorized to use the Purdue logo on all apparel except shoes.

At least 20 other universities also participated on Wednesday in what was called a National Day of Action.

In addition, the Purdue Students Against Sweatshops authored a letter to be signed by Purdue president Martin Jischke and mailed to Phillip Knight, chairman and CEO of Nike.

Joachim Deguara, a senior in the Schools of Engineering and author of the letter sent to Jischke, said, "We want President Jischke to acknowledge what is going on and show concern that Purdue needs to know what's going on. These workers are Purdue workers as well and we need to take care of them as we would our own workers."

Jischke did not sign the letter and in an official statement said that if any of the allegations are true Purdue will "ask any Purdue licensees that have contracts with the Kukdong factory to take immediate corrective action."

Deguara said, "The statement is similar to what the letter had said, so we're quite pleased. We feel good and are satisfied that he came through and made the statement."

Joe Bennett, vice president of University relations, said Purdue responded Tuesday to the situation in Mexico after being contacted by the Worker Rights Consortium on Tuesday. Purdue has enlisted University of Iowa law professor Marcella David to represent it during the Worker Rights Consortium fact-finding mission this weekend in Mexico.

The Purdue Students Against Sweatshops also used the opportunity to hand out information about Jim Keady, a human-rights advocate who is coming to speak at Purdue in February.

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CAMPUS DESK PHONE:
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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

Assistant campus editors: Kurt Esposito, Dave Stephens

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