Sweatshop protests draw attention

SOLE meets with Bollinger

By Jen Fish

Daily Staff Reporter

As the occupation of LSA Dean Shirley Neuman's office heads into its third day, members of the Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality remain disappointed by what they characterize as a "perfect example of the U of M ignoring students," said protester Rachel Edelman, an LSA junior.

About 20 members of the anti-sweatshop organization seized the dean's office Wednesday morning to demand the University's participation in the Worker Rights Consortium, a policy developed by students to monitor labor standards in the collegiate apparel industry. University President Lee Bollinger met with the students yesterday morning in the dean's office. Bollinger reiterated his unwillingness to sign onto the WRC without more time to study the policy.

SOLE members said they were dismayed with Bollinger's apparent unfamiliarity with the WRC. During the meeting, Bollinger admitted he has not read the entire document. "I have not read it. I often work by people giving me descriptions of things. It doesn't matter if I read it or not."

After the meeting Bollinger said he shares the students' concerns. He said accusations that he is ignoring their concerns are unfounded. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

Bollinger seemed especially concerned with what role the University would have in the WRC coalition. Currently only five other schools have signed on - Haverford College, University of New Orleans, Brown University, Loyola University of New Orleans and Oberlin College.

Bollinger also said he has been in communication with other university administrators, specifically Chancellor David Ward of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Bollinger suggested one plan might be to develop a mini-consortium between Wisconsin, Indiana University, and the University to join the WRC together, on a provisional basis.

Although the protest actions at the University have proceeded without incident, minor violence erupted yesterday at Madison when students were sprayed with pepper gas as they attempted to gain entry to the chancellor's office.

Bollinger described the events in Madison as "distressing," adding that he hopes to avoid such actions at the University.

Protesters in Madison currently occupy Ward's office and await word from him after he announced Madison's withdrawal from the Fair Labor Association on Wednesday night.

The FLA is a White House-sponsored coalition of corporations and human rights groups aimed at curbing labor abuses in the apparel industry. It has been criticized by anti-sweatshop activists as biased towards corporations.

The proposal of provisional membership has been offered as a potential compromise by SOLE. Bollinger said such a suggestion "might be acceptable," but was still unwilling to commit the University.

SOLE members said that neither Bollinger nor University General Counsel Marvin Krislov had prepared any kind of written counterproposal to work with. Instead, Krislov communicated that Bollinger would be negotiating with other administrators, and not with the students, Edelman said.

"We were basically told that we have been bypassed in the negotiations," said SOLE member Liat Weingart, an RC senior. "We are extremely disappointed and feel manipulated by the administration."

But Krislov insists that negotiations between the two parties are open and the administration would continue to talk to the protesters.

"The consortium is still a possibility," Krislov said. "There are a lot of concerns about structural procedures, whether the monitoring process will be fair. There's a lot of legal and policy issues."

As the meeting drew to a close, Bollinger asked if Neuman would be able to enter the office to collect some papers and files she needed. When members of SOLE replied that they were not prepared to let her back in, Bollinger warned the students to carefully consider their decisions.

"I will take it very seriously if you deny access to the dean. I would think about that very, very carefully," Bollinger said.

schools have signed on - Haverford College, University of New Orleans, Brown University, Loyola University of New Orleans and Oberlin College.

Bollinger also said he has been in communication with other university administrators, specifically Chancellor David Ward of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Bollinger suggested one plan might be to develop a mini-consortium between Wisconsin, Indiana University, and the University to join the WRC together, on a provisional basis.

Although the protest actions at the University have proceeded without incident, minor violence erupted yesterday at Madison when students were sprayed with pepper gas as they attempted to gain entry to the chancellor's office.

Bollinger described the events in Madison as "distressing," adding that he hopes to avoid such actions at the University.

Protesters in Madison currently occupy Ward's office and await word from him after he announced Madison's withdrawal from the Fair Labor Association on Wednesday night.

The FLA is a White House-sponsored coalition of corporations and human rights groups aimed at curbing labor abuses in the apparel industry. It has been criticized by anti-sweatshop activists as biased towards corporations.

The proposal of provisional membership has been offered as a potential compromise by SOLE. Bollinger said such a suggestion "might be acceptable," but was still unwilling to commit the University.

SOLE members said that neither Bollinger nor University General Counsel Marvin Krislov had prepared any kind of written counterproposal to work with. Instead, Krislov communicated that Bollinger would be negotiating with other administrators, and not with the students, Edelman said.

"We were basically told that we have been bypassed in the negotiations," said SOLE member Liat Weingart, an RC senior. "We are extremely disappointed and feel manipulated by the administration."

But Krislov insists that negotiations between the two parties are open and the administration would continue to talk to the protesters.

"The consortium is still a possibility," Krislov said. "There are a lot of concerns about structural procedures, whether the monitoring process will be fair. There's a lot of legal and policy issues."

As the meeting drew to a close, Bollinger asked if Neuman would be able to enter the office to collect some papers and files she needed. When members of SOLE replied that they were not prepared to let her back in, Bollinger warned the students to carefully consider their decisions.

"I will take it very seriously if you deny access to the dean. I would think about that very, very carefully," Bollinger said.

DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily

LSA freshman Zack Schulman and LSA junior Mariah Cherem read newspaper reports about sweatshop sit-ins across the country during their occupation of the LSA Dean's office yesterday.