From: mtoups@andrew.cmu.edu
Date: Thu Nov 21 2002 - 03:05:06 EST
Ok, so this week's PWR meeting will be pushed back
to 6:30pm. We will meet in UC 318g (or 318 if possible).
The reason for pushing the meeting back is that
many PWR folks want to attend the debate on the
Iraq War in McConomy at 5pm.
Becuase of the time change, we will not be meeting
with WenShu's CPS contact until this weekend or next week.
However, we've got:
* a pamphlet to put the finishing touches on
* buttons to make
* plans for tabling after thanksgiving to finalize
* plans for a possible benefit show next semester to talk about
* a follow-up from Wednesday's faculty senate meeting from
myself and Alexa
also, there's a lot going on with USAS nationally --
we just got a big mailing of stuff in the mailbox and
i've appended below an email with a bunch of the stuff
they're working on.
The topic of whole foods market has come up in the last
couple of meetings, what with them being new in Pittsburgh
and having a somewhat questionable record on labor issues.
People have asked me about the web sites i've referred to
so here are some good links:
"Whole Foods Invades Pittsburgh"
http://indypgh.org/news/2002/09/73.php
"Whole Foods Market and the B-1 Bomber"
http://www.zmag.org/ZMag/articles/steinberg.htm
Whole Foods workers' union site
http://www.wholeworkersunite.org/
An organizer from UFCW Local 23 has expressed interest
in coming in and talking about this and other issues --
and they're a big part of the Wal-Mart action which is
mentioned below.
Okay, that's it. See you tomorrow. 6:30 not 5.
UC 318g.
peace
matt
(don't forget to bring people to the war debate at
5pm in mcconomy -- good speakers, hosted by scott sandage)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 18:17:37 -0800
From: ben@usasnet.org
To: mtoups@andrew.cmu.edu, americanjacobin@hotmail.com,
livingwageatpitt@hotmail.com
Subject: Hey Pittsburgh, Join the USAS WEEK OF RESISTANCE
Hey Matt and Paul,
How's it going? Hope you're both doing well. This is Ben McKean,
national organizer for United Students Against Sweatshops. One thing
I want to talk to both of you about is campus living wage work,
following up on the great call we had last week to plan the December
5th Day of Action. But this time, I'm writing to ask you to join with
our week of action *this week*. At least FIFTY actions are already
planned for the week, so it should be a great show of student power
and solidarity. In particular, it would be great if you could join in
the action in support of workers at Wal-Mart already planned for
Pittsburgh. The action's at the Wal-Mart Super Center in Robinson
Town Center on N. Fayett Street; the point person is Sandy Thompson
from UFCW Local 23 at 724-514-3228 or Sandy@ufcw23.com
You can get more information on the shebang at
www.walmartdayofaction.com, but here are some of the reasons that
we're asking people to take on Wal-Mart and show their support for
workers there:
- Wal-Mart is the biggest employer in the US, and the most
anti-union; workers are systematically fired for even saying the word
“union”
- Wal-Mart abuses its retail workers, often forcing them to work
unpaid overtime
- The largest apparel retailer in the world, Wal-Mart refuses to
recognize workers rights in their sweatshop factories
- Wal-Mart workers are often denied basic labor and human rights like
access to health care
- Wal-Mart carries boycotted goods like PictSweet Mushrooms, Azteca
Tortilla Products, Mt. Olive Pickles, and Taco Bell
- Wal-Mart discriminates on the basis of gender, sexuality, and race
in hirings, job assignments, and promotions
It would be great if you could join the Wal-Mart action. If you have
any questions, please give me a call; our office is 202/NO-SWEAT, and
we're here way more often than we'd like. Also, you can e-mail me or
send me your phone number, and I can call at a convenient time.
thanks very much,
Ben McKean
National Organizer
United Students Against Sweatshops
TODAY! ALL WEEK! TODAY! ALL WEEK! TODAY! ALL WEEK! TODAY! ALL WEEK!
From November 17th to November 23rd...
___________ __
\__ ___/____ | | __ ____
| | \__ \ | |/ // __ \
| | / __ \| <\ ___/
|____| (____ /__|_ \\___ >
\/ \/ \/
_____ __ .__ ._.
/ _ \ _____/ |_|__| ____ ____| |
/ /_\ \_/ ___\ __\ |/ _ \ / \ |
/ | \ \___| | | ( <_> ) | \|
\____|__ /\___ >__| |__|\____/|___| /_
\/ \/ \/\/
WITH UNITED STUDENTS AGAINST SWEATSHOPS
**********************************************
********* JOIN THE USAS WEEK OF ACTION ***********
********* RESIST THE GLOBALIZATION OF POVERTY ***********
********* FIGHT THE GAP, WAL-MART, DISNEY, & ALCOA ***********
********* ACTIONS ALL WEEK FROM NOVEMBER 17TH TO 23RD ***********
**********************************************************************
WITH DOZENS...
________ ._.
\______ \ ____________ ____ ____ _____| |
| | \ / _ \___ // __ \ / \ / ___/ |
| ` ( <_> ) /\ ___/| | \\___ \ \|
/_______ /\____/_____ \\___ >___| /____ >__
\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/
...OF CONFIRMED ACTIONS!
Take action on your campus and in your community against global
exploitation and in support of workers organizing worldwide! Join the
FIFTY USAS campuses that are participating in the week of resistance.
This action alert will give you all the materials you need to have a
successful action, and also let you know what other students around
the country are planning to do!
******************
GAP WEEK OF ACTION
******************
In El Salvador, Gap workers who tried to form a union in their
factory called the STIT (Textile Workers Union) lost their jobs when
the Gap pulled the work out. Now the former Gap workers who are union
supporters are being blacklisted. USAS affiliates have already
hosted these strong workers on a speaking tour this fall, and now
they are asking us to step it up with a week of action. Students
already succesfully organized six actions last week as a warning, and
there's more to come next week and until we win justice for GAP
workers! For more information, see www.behindthelabel.org
************************************
WAL-MART DAY OF ACTION NOVEMBER 21ST
************************************
Wal-Mart is the biggest employer in the US, and also the most
anti-union anywhere. Whether it's retail workers in the
community-destroying superstores or sweatshop workers in the
factories that produce the clothes sold there, Wal-Mart workers are
routinely denied basic labor and human rights. In partnership with
the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), USAS asks students to
take action to support worker organizing at Wal-Mart on November
21st. For more information, see www.walmartdayofaction.com
*********************************************
DISNEY AND THE CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH SWEATSHOPS
*********************************************
When the women working in the Shah Makhdum factory publicly denounced
the abuse of their basic human rights a few months ago, the Disney
Company responded by pulling production from the factory. USAS is
asking Disney to do the right thing and return to Bangladesh.
Students across the country are taking action whenever Disney comes
to recruit on their campuses, and circulating petitions to let people
know that Mickey has blood on his hands. For more information, see
www.disneysweatshops.org
******************
ALCOA ACTION ALERT
******************
In solidarity with the Comite Fronterizo de Obrer@s (CFO) -- a
grassroots movement of workers in the maquiladora plants that line
the U.S. Mexico border -- USAS is supporting Mexican Alcoa workers who
organized huge plants in Piedras Negras owned by Alcoa, a
global steel and aluminum corporation with strong ties to the Bush
White House and Cabinet. Many of the main organizers in an Alcoa
plant were unjustly fired a few weeks ago. The demands to Alcoa are
reinstatement of the illegally fired workers, a stop to Alcoa's
threats of closing the plants, and recognition of the workers'
independent union.
Two workers from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico will be touring the
United States during the week of action with visits in New Hampshire
(11/20), Connecticut (11/21), New York City (11/22), Massachusetts
(11/23),
and Pittsburgh
(11/25); and students are organizing actions at Alcoa sites
everywhere!
*************
STOP THE FTAA
*************
The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is a continental free
trade agreement that will further erode labor rights and human rights
throughout the hemisphere. Take action on or around November 17th as
part of the hemispheric-wide protests of the FTAA. Contact
lenore@usasnet.org from more information.
**************
ANY QUESTIONS?
**************
Don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions! We
can provide sample leaflets, materials, and action ideas for all of
these campaigns.
======================================================================
NEW YORK OFFICE | WASHINGTON DC OFFICE | LOS ANGELES OFFICE
======================================================================
Lenore Palladino | Ben McKean | Pedro Cruz
212/265-7000, x548 | 202/NO-SWEAT | 909/967-4268
lenore@usasnet.org | ben@usasnet.org | pedro@usasnet.org
======================================================================
So, now you're ready to...
*******************************
___________ __
\__ ___/____ | | __ ____
| | \__ \ | |/ // __ \
| | / __ \| <\ ___/
|____| (____ /__|_ \\___ >
\/ \/ \/
_____ __ .__ ._.
/ _ \ _____/ |_|__| ____ ____| |
/ /_\ \_/ ___\ __\ |/ _ \ / \ |
/ | \ \___| | | ( <_> ) | \|
\____|__ /\___ >__| |__|\____/|___| /_
\/ \/ \/\/
WITH UNITED STUDENTS AGAINST SWEATSHOPS
******************************************
TODAY! ALL WEEK! TODAY! ALL WEEK! TODAY! ALL WEEK! TODAY! ALL WEEK!
------------------------------------
Benjamin McKean | National Organizer
United Students Against Sweatshops
202.NO.SWEAT // ben@usasnet.org
------------------------------------
| People for Workers' Rights
| United Students Against Sweatshops affiliate
| web: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/org/usas
| email: pwr@andrew.cmu.edu
| bboard: assocs.pwr-usas
| to unsubscribe go to http://www.cmu.edu/lists
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