OSLAC moves on de-sweat motion

SLACers say no one deserves to sweat.

Oberlin Student Labor Action Coalition held a general meeting last Tuesday to discuss the upcoming agenda to de-sweat the College. SLAC's newly devised purchasing policy proposal is to ensure an end to the College's purchasing of clothing apparel manufactured through sweatshop labor. Their policy is a part of a rising national movement against sweatshop labor.

According to the policy proposal there are three principles of code of purchasing: "It is incumbent upon the College to not contribute to the illegal mistreatment of workers ... to publicly take a strong initiative against the use of sweatshop labor so that others may follow ... and seek to transform this industry by elevating the significance of the ethical behavior of manufacturers and offering incentives to behave as such."

If adopted the College will make a commitment to end its consumer practices at any time with industries found to be using illegal sweatshop labor.

This policy will affect the Co-op Bookstore and athletics the most. Even so, SLAC received the A-okay from Co-op staff members as well as full support from Athletics Directory Mike Muska with a proposal to end sweatshop labor.

"The Co-op and Muska are in full support," said college sophomore Katharine Cristiani, general SLAC member.

According to juniors Ursula Lawrence and Corrina Steward, co-chairs of SLAC, Muska believes there are small financial implications for the athletic department should the policy be passed. "He said this is an easy transition to make," said Lawrence.

Muska also volunteered to serve on a committee written in the proposal to "act as a mechanism for maintaining and promoting the Code of Purchasing."

Also supporting the proposal is US Representative Sherrod Brown. Last month a letter of Congressional support was sent to students across the country through the United Students Against Sweatshops list serve supporting their efforts to de-sweat their campuses. Among the 24 typed signatures Sherrod Brown was included. This letter encouraged Lawrence to call Brown's office to thank him for supporting the de-sweatshop effort.

"His office called me back today giving us his full support. I said a letter of support would be great and his assistant, Tom Moore, said 'We were thinking more along the lines of a personal appearance.' It made my day," said Steward.

It is this same list serve that listed Oberlin among the top schools against sweatshops in the US. "[The list serve allows us to] build solidarity with other schools. Everyone is talking. There's a lot of information from other schools," said Lawrence

Last night SLAC presented the class trustees with the new proposal as a method of introducing them to the new ideas within the proposal. Lawrence said, "We want to give them the message saying 'We have all this support. Why would you ever turn us down?'"

During the Trustees meeting sophomores Brendan Cooney and Amy Pandjiris, first-year Katherine Blauvelt, Steward and Lawrence presented their proposal with little opposition from trustees. "I wouldn't think there would be much opposition to this," one said. Although Board members have no formal jurisdiction in the decision for passing the proposal they offered their support and suggestions to administration.

This initial step will also serve to prepare SLAC with its presentation to Student Senate this Sunday in an attempt to pass the proposal. With the counsel of sophomore senator Amy Pandjiris and sophomore senator Micah Thorner SLAC members hope to achieve positive results.

"Last year we brought a similar smaller proposal to Senate. It was really successful with passing through Senate and this is just an expansion on that. It's important to go through Senate because it's a representation of the student body," said Pandjiris.