USAS in the press

We have had a lot of successful protests and events this year, some of which have gotten attention from the media. Below is a sample of some of the news coverage that USAS students have received during the past school year.

Killer Coke Campaign:

Students have been successfully organizing to get Coca-Cola kicked off of their campuses for various human rights abuses that include collaboration in the murder of union leaders in Colombia, environmental devastation of communities in India, firing and beating striking workers in Turkey, and similar abuses in other countries throughout the world. Recently, on October 12, students on campuses throughout the US and Canada participated in an international day of action targeting the soft-drink giant. These protests have been generating a good deal of media attention, some of which is included here. If your school has gotten press coverage that isn’t listed here then please email us at staff[at]usas.org

Student Group Protests Coca-Cola Corporation on Campus- The State News 9-29

No Sweat! Protests IU Contract with Coke- Indiana Student Daily 10-5

King’s Students Want Coke Banned- London Free Press 10-13

IU Students Give out Free Rootbeer to Protest Coca-Cola- South Bend Tribune 10-15

Club Rallies Against Coca-Cola- The Beacon 10-26

Swarthmore Officially Kicks Coke- The Phoenix 11-9

Swarthmore College Removes Coca-Cola Products From Campus – Ascribe 11-28

Kick Coke Works to Continue Dialogue with Coca-Cola – The Phoenix 11-30

Another US College Bans Coke – Environmental Data Interactive 11-30

Don’t Let Coke Off the Hook – Washington Square News 12-6

Coke Contract Raises Ethical Concerns for SU – The Gateway 1-11

Coca-Cola Making a Killing – Vermont Cynic 1-30

Carleton’s Anti-Coke Crusaders Regrouping After Membership Loss – The Charlatan 2-1

Campus Community Solidarity:

Students are working in solidarity with campus workers to ensure that their university respects workers’ rights to form unions, earn a living wage and have the right to organize. There has been some noise making recently on campus with students and workes showing their power, strength, and keeeping their universities accounatle for their labor practices. If you have articles to add, please email staff(at)usas.org

P&R Janitors Vote for Their First Union Contract-10-2

Janitors Go Hungry for Workers’ Rights- The Harvard Crimson 10-3

Workers to get Living Wage- The Daily Cardinal 10-4

Chancellor Signs New LTE Policy- The Badger Herald 10-4

Down, Definitely not Out- The Harvard Crimson 10-17

Students Against Sweatshops Confront Simpson- The Spectrum 11-10

Students Seek Labor Pact on Smith Project – Hampshire Gazette 12-7

Smith Students Hold Study-In – Youtube version of TV Coverage 12-18

A Janitor’s Tale – The Spectrum 11-29

International Solidarity:

Students at universities throughout the US and Canada have been demanding that their universities adopt a policy that would force brands producing university clothes to source from factories where workers have the ability to form a union and earn a living wage. In addition, students have been holding protests and Nike, Adidas, and Victoria’s Secret stores to demand that these brands change their anti-union sourcing practices and respect the rights of the workers producing their clothes. These protests have generated a lot of media attention, and we have included some of the articles below. If your group has gotten any media coverage that isn’t listed here then please send it in to

Students vs. Sweatshops Round III- In These Times 8-9

Nudes Back in the News- Colorado Daily 9-7

Students Campaign Against Sweatshops- Centre Daily 9-14

Groups Want PSU Sweat-Free- The Daily Collegian 9-15

Board Approves Appropriations Request- The Daily Collegian 9-15

Anti-Sweatshop Plan Progresses- The Daily Cardinal 9-28

Codes Don’t Work- Inside Higer Ed 9-28

Protesters Tell Victoria’s Secret to Keep the Gina Factory Open- Media Mouse 10-1

Harvard Sweats Apparel Plan- The Harvard Crimson 10-2

Labor Group Asks Wiley to Sing Original Anti-Sweatshop Plan- The Daily Cardinal 10-10

SLAC Attack: UW Facing Ultimatum- The Badger Herald 10-10

Students Stage Sweatshop, Urge Change- Daily Trojan 10-13

Just Don’t Do It- The Daily Princetonian 10-15

Student Labor Advocates Tout Agreement with University- The Daily Cardinal 10-17

Students Fight for Labor Rights- The Appalachian 10-17

Group parties in Chancellor’s Office- The Badger Herald 10-18

Student Wages War on Sweatshop Labor- The Daily Gamecock 10-25

Student Poses Question to Purdue President- The Exponent 10-27

Concerns Remain Over PSU Apparel- The Centre Daily 10-27

Ursinus Students Participate in JC Penny Protest- Montgomery Newspapers 11-9

URI Social Activists Plan Sweatshop Strategy- The Narragansett Times 11-10

UM Group Still Hot Under the Collar for Sweatshop-Free Apparel- Montana Kaimin 11-16

ASUM Gives Support to Non-Sweatshop Apparel- Montana Kaimin 11-16

Chancellor Handed a ‘Summons’- Colorado Daily 11-16

Students Begin Fight for Sweatshop-Free Campus- McGill Daily 11-16

McGill Must be Sweatshop-Free- McGill Daily 11-16

Labor Protest Finds Way Into Jinschke’s Office- The Daily Exponent 11-17

Students Protest Labor Practices- Daily Trojan 11-17

Anti-Sweatshop Show Highlights Injustices – The Brown and White 11-29

Sweatshop Fashion Show Tonight – Worcester Telegram 11-30

Sweatshop Fashion Show – Worcester Telegram 12-1

Support Stanford’s Sweatsfree Campaign – The Stanford Daily 1-23

Students Visit Hennesey, Again – The Stanford Daily 1-24

Investment Panel Calls for Input – The Stanford Daily 1-25

Student Reveals Reasons for Participating in Hunger Strike – Purdue Exponent 1-26

Bookstore Pulls Shirts Made in Questionable Factory – The Eye Opener 2-2

BC Students United Against Sweatshops – The Heights 2-1

Students Request Spanier Sign Bill – The Daily Collegian 2-1

Make a No Sweat Choice – The Marquette Tribune 2-1

Administrator Forces Protest to Relocate – The Daily Trojan 2-1

Press for the Purdue Hunger Strike:

On November 17, students at Purdue University began a hunger strike to demand that their university adopt the Designated Suppliers Program, which would require that the brands producing university apparel source them from factories where workers have a voice on the job and earn a living wage. The hunger strike lasted 26 days, and garnered a huge amount of press attention.

November 27th, 2006
IndyStar
Lafayette Journal and Courier
WBAA 1
WBAA 2
WLFI

November 28th, 2006
Chicago Tribune
Purdue Exponent
Lafayette Journal and Courier/AP
Lafayette Journal and Courier
Labor Radio.org
The Chronicle of Higher Education
ABC 7 Chicago
Fort Wayne News Sentinel
Northwest Indiana Times
WTHR (Indianapolis NBC affiliate
Fox 28 South Bend
WRTV Indianapolis
WISH TV Indianapolis
MSNBC.com
WHAS (Louisville, KY)