Workers and Students Force Rite Aid to Face its Wrongs

In my first week as a USAS Summer Intern, rather than fetching coffee for my supervisor or running off a zillion copies, I instead confronted the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation and called him out on his company’s anti-worker practices.  This may seem unlike most of the other DC internships you might see blogs about, but it’s just another day at the office for USAS!

Workers reached out to USAS for student support in their coalition, and last summer, we decided to launch our first Rapid Response Solidarity Campaign. We leafleted outside of Rite Aid stores from Boston to Los Angeles on strategic days, including Halloween, where we exposed Rite Aid’s House of Horrors working conditions.  Across our network, students participated in online actions, calling Rite Aid out on its Facebook Fan Page, asking why they would treat their workers this way.  On April Fool’s Day in Ithaca, NY, Cornell Students Against Sweatshops (CSAS) did a flyering-tour, going to all three local Rite Aid stores to speak with customers and store managers about the company’s attacks on workers.

Finally in May, we celebrated our first victory!  The Rite Aid union members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26 won a fair contract for 500 workers at a Rite Aid distribution center in Lancaster, CA! This came after over five years of fighting the company’s anti-union tactics against worker organizing and refusing to bargain in good faith a first-contract for over two years after the union was recognized.

But the fight isn’t over. Rite Aid has forced members of UFCW Local 880 from six Rite Aid stores in Ohio onto the picket line for more than 3 months.  These workers have been on strike, bearing the cold of a late winter and now the summer heat, because the workers believe the company has violated labor law in negotiations with the union and has given them no other option.

Before the shareholder’s meeting, Rite Aid leaders attended the Rite Aid Workers’ Summit. Representatives from the 1199 SEIU, ILWU, RWDSU, UFCW Local 21, UFCW Local 880, UFCW Local 1360, UFCW Local 1776, and the UFCW International, Change to Win, and the AFL-CIO were all there.  As the only student in the room, and after mobilizing students on my campus and in my region to participate in Rite Aid store actions, I was so excited to participate in real strategy discussions with union organizers and campaign strategists that would affect thousands of Rite Aid workers across the country, and to see different unions come together as a strategic coalition, united, demanding respect for workers and our communities.

The best part of the day was getting to speak with three of the incredible women currently on strike–Elsa, Christina, and Gina–members of UFCW Local 880.  Gina, a single-mom and 20-year Rite Aid veteran, says she is striking because she needs affordable medical to be able to care for her children.  They are not asking for more money or wage increases–she’s fighting for affordable health insurance so she can try to make ends meet.  Elsa, after 19-years with Rite Aid, is getting older and has a husband to care for, and she is coming to a point in her life where she needs affordable medical care.  Christina, who has worked at Rite Aid for 12 years, says she is on strke because in negotiations, management is trying to make healthcare so expensive that nobody will be able to afford it, and as a mother, she can’t survive that way.

Hearing their stories reminded me of my visit with garment workers I met at the Alta Gracia factory in the Dominican Republic. These women, also single mothers, organized and fought against sweatshops conditions, demanding livable wages and health care to provide for their families, too.  I will continue to stand alongside all of these amazing women activists as we fight back against corporate greed in all its forms–from sweatshops in the Caribbean, to the pharmacy on the street corner.

Cornell Students Against Sweatshops (CSAS) is currently running a campaign to cut Cornell’s ties with the Fair Labor Association (FLA).  The FLA is a watchdog organization that, in theory, ensures university apparel is made in factories with good working conditions.  But the FLA has failed miserably, and has often actively defended companies that were found to be major rights abusers (such as Nike and Russell Athletic).  This is the exact sort of campaign President Skorton encourages students to engage in: a local issue with global implications. Yet CSAS sent a delegation to President Skorton’s office a month ago and has received no response.

Sadly, this is not the only time President Skorton has halted student activism.  The Student Assembly passed a resolution calling for Cornell to divest from companies that use conflict minerals, but President Skorton denied it, deferring any action.  The Cornell Organization for Labor Action (COLA) has been working with Svante Myrick ‘09 and Eddie Rooker ’09 for three years to make Ithaca’s uniforms sweatshop-free, but President Skorton has yet topublicly support the bill.  Last year, the Immigrant Farmworker Initiative (IFI) and MEChA worked together to get President Skorton to publicly support the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act and the DREAM Act, yet he failed to release a statement about the Farmworker bill.

An active student body is enhanced by an administration that is responsive and equally active. We whole-heartedly agree that students must take a more active role in changing the world around them.  But will President Skorton take sufficient action to foster its growth on campus? As activists know, actions speak louder than words.

By: Cornell Students Against Sweatshops
Cornell Organization for Labor Action
Half in Ten
Conflict-Free Cornell
Take Back the Tap
Sustainability Hub
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán
Asian Pacific Americans for Action
Black Students United

President Skorton looking nervous about student activism

The Sol Stetin Award, which honors outstanding individuals or organizations for their contributions to working people, was presented to Alex Bores ’13, President of CSAS, who accepted it on behalf of the organization and United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS). Other winners this year were Captain John H. Prater, the president of the Air Line Pilots Association, and James D. Sinegal, the president and CEO of Costco.

“It was exciting to see the support and recognition that student activists receive from the labor movement,” said Gleb Drobkov ’12, treasurer of CSAS. “Many of the people in the room spoke of Alex, the current members of USAS, and our organization’s alumni as the future generation that will revitalize the debate over workers’ rights across the world.”

Past winners of the award include Pete Seeger, world renowned folk singer, Bruce Raynor, then president of Unite Here!, and Bill Pascrel Jr., U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 8th congressional district.

“It was an honor just to be in a list with some of the past recipients,” said Bores. “However, it is important to remember that the work we did was nothing compared to the hardships endured by the Nike workers themselves. They are the ones who truly deserve this award.”

United Students Against Sweatshops played a critical role in making sure that Nike took responsibility for the actions of its subcontractors.

Last semester, students and workers forced Nike, the largest sportswear company in the world, to compensate 1,800 formerly subcontracted workers at Hugger and Vision Tex, two Honduran factories it closed in January 2009. The compensation package included the $1.5 million in legally mandated severance pay, priority hiring by Nike’s other Honduran suppliers, and nine months of medical care through the country’s social security system, among other benefits.

Members of CSAS and Cornell Organization for Labor Action (COLA) waged a 6-month campaign to pressure Cornell University to drop Nike. The students organized educational teach-ins, got endorsements from over 30 Cornell organizations, collected signed petitions from over 1,100 students, passed faculty and student government resolutions calling for a contract cut with Nike, brought worker representatives from the two affected factories in Honduras to speak on campus, and held “Working Out for Workers Rights” exercise sessions that led to the Cornell Daily Sun endorsing their campaign, among many other actions.

The results of these actions were seen on June 30, 2010, when Cornell’s President, David Skorton, notified the University’s Licensing Oversight Committee of his decision to let Cornell’s contract with Nike expire at the end of December 2010, unless the sports-giant corrected labor violations at two of its former supplier factories in Honduras. In a matter of weeks after President Skorton’s decision, Nike finally decided to uphold its legal and moral responsibility.

The American Labor Museum took notice of this story by reading national coverage of the victory in the New York Times.

CSAS hopes the award will help bring more attention to the anti-sweatshop movement on campus and around the globe. “This movement has been growing for a while, and we are proud of the progress we have made thus far,” said HJ Lee ‘12. “But there is a still a lot more to do.”

Gleb Drobkov, HJ Lee, Alex Bores, Bill Peterson, and Debby Cho holding the Sol Stetin Award

Maritza Vargas and Gina Cano united with students to transform Nike’s sweatshop abuses into historic victories for workers’ rights.  “I am really excited to meet with the Nike workers we fought alongside with.  It is an opportunity to see the tangible results that students can have to bring about justice,” said Gleb Drobkov ’12, Treasurer of Cornell Students Against Sweatshops (CSAS) Gina now works for the CGT union in Honduras, and Maritza works at the Alta Gracia factory in the Dominican Republic.

In January 2009, Nike subcontractor Haddad Group closed two factories (Hugger de Honduras and Vision Tex) that predominately produced goods for Nike, including university apparel.  1,800 workers were laid off without getting paid their legally required severance. Last semester, CSAS united with Cornell Organization for Labor Action and other student groups on campus and at other schools to bring justice to the workers.  After a prolonged campaign, Cornell threatened to cut its contract with Nike.  Nike responded by paying the workers the money they were owed, as well as granting them healthcare and training for a year.

“Nike plays a key role in setting up the worldwide apparel system that its contractors and subcontractors work in,” said Alex Bores ’13, President of CSAS. “Nike plays factory against factory, causing them to shave a penny here and a penny there, creating an ultra-competitive environment that drives down wages and gives factory owners virtually no choice but to disrespect workers’ basic rights. This case shows that even the largest corporations are vulnerable to student pressure.”

Along with recounting her experiences in a Nike factory a decade ago, which was shut down after workers fought for a union, Maritza will talk about her current experiences working for Alta Gracia, operating with a union and where workers earn a living wage.  Colin Foley ‘14, said “Alta Gracia is a model that we see spreading to the rest of the apparel industry.  There is no responsible way to do business without paying workers a living wage and respecting their right to organize.”

The workers will also discuss the role that the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) played in their victories.  The WRC is an independent monitoring agency that acts as a watchdog for apparel manufacturers.  It is independent of corporations and responsive to workers’ claims. Gina and Maritza will be talking about the absence of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), a notoriously weak monitoring agency that is run by the corporations themselves.  Both organizations rely on funding from university who are affiliated in order to function.

On Friday, October 29, a delegation of students delivered President Skorton a letter demanding that the university disaffiliate from the FLA.  Students also presented Skorton with an Alta Gracia t-shirt as a token of appreciation for his efforts in the Nike “Just Pay It” campaign, acknowledging that Cornell played a huge role in the victory for the workers, and can continue to make a difference in the garment industry by supporting brands that respect workers.

“Students appreciate Cornell’s dedication to workers’ rights, and we now call on the University to reaffirm its commitment by disaffiliating with the FLA,” said Casey Sweeney ’13, Regional Organizer for United Students Against Sweatshops.  “The FLA has proven time and time again, whether it be in the case of Adidas, Russell or Nike, that it cares more about protecting the companies that sit on their boards than the workers making our apparel.”

Alta Gracia Apparel in the Cornell Store

Cornell’s action comes in the wake of protests organized by local chapters of United Students Against Sweatshops, a national labor rights watchdog group. The campaign, called “Just Pay It!,” succeeded in pressuring the University of Wisconsin to cut its contract with Nike in March, and is expanding to other colleges asking them to follow suit. The University of Washington and University of California system are currently considering whether to drop Nike.

Members of Cornell Students Against Sweatshops and the Cornell Organization for Labor Action waged a 6-month campaign to pressure the University to drop Nike. The students organized educational teach-ins; got endorsements of over 30 Cornell organizations, including the Student Athletes Council; passed faculty and student government resolutions calling for a contract cut with Nike; brought worker representatives from the two affected factories in Honduras to speak on campus; held morning “Working Out for Workers Rights” exercise sessions that led to the student newspaper endorsing their Nike campaign; and held rallies and protests demanding that the University Administration cut Cornell’s contract.

“We think President Skorton’s decision to let Cornell’s Nike contract expire in December sends a strong message to Nike: clean up your act, or other schools will follow Cornell and cut contracts,” said Casey Sweeney ’13, who is the President of the Cornell Organization for Labor Action, and a Regional Organizer with United Students Against Sweatshops. Sweeney added that so far, “President Skorton has not mentioned what will happen with Cornell’s 5-year exclusive athletics contract with Nike,” which is currently being considered for renewal. Casey Sweeney says that “the entire communities of Cornell and Ithaca got behind our campaign to hold Nike accountable,” and students “want to see President Skorton clarify that Cornell’s athletics contract won’t be considered for renewal until December.”

Additionally, the students plan on holding the University to its promises next fall semester. “Cornell needs to prepare itself for the serious possibility of Nike failing to pay its workers the money they’re owed,” said Alex Bores ’13, who’s the President of Cornell Students Against Sweatshops. “One way President Skorton can prepare for losing Nike’s sponsorship of Cornell athletics, is by actively searching for other potential contractors right now,” says Bores, who went on to say that “next year, our campaign will most likely focus on talking to students and athletes about what sports company they’d prefer to replace Nike as Cornell’s main athletic sponsor.” President Skorton’s decision makes Cornell the first school whose athletics program is sponsored by Nike, to publicly commit to dropping its business with the company over labor rights violations.

Hello Friends,

Cornell Students Against Sweatshops (CSAS), the USAS affiliate at Cornell University, are currently in a critical stage of our Just Pay It! Campaign, and we need your help to cut our contract with Nike!

**Today, Wednesday June 2, we are holding a day-long call-in to our University’s President, David Skorton, to demand that Cornell cut its ties with Nike immediately.  Please take a few minutes to make a call before 5pm EST, and forward this to your group’s listserve!

What’s At Stake

This semester at Cornell, CSAS has held a number of actions and demonstrations in support of the workers. We gained the support of over 1,100 students and were endorsed by over 30 student organizations, including our Student and University Assemblies. Even Cornell’s Licensing Oversight Committee recommended suspending our licensing agreement with Nike. Despite all of this support, we are still waiting for this contract to finally be cut!  We need your support to urge President Skorton to do the right thing, NOW!

Number to Call: (607) 255-5201

Sample Message:

“President Skorton, my name is ____ and I am deeply concerned about the Nike Corporation and its treatment of garment workers in Honduras.  These workers are owed over $2 million, but Nike is refusing to recognize that it is responsible for their welfare.  To continue to do business with Nike is damaging Cornell’s reputation.  I urge you to listen to the voices of Cornell students, faculty, and alumni, as well as the workers in Honduras, and do what is right.  Cornell needs to immediately end its relationship with the company and cut its contracts. Thank you.”

Take Home Message

Do not be deterred if you cannot speak to Skorton directly (though obviously ask if you can).  The main point is that the message gets through that everyone is watching his actions and making sure he does the right thing.

Thank you so much for your help in bringing justice to these workers!

Let's see if we can give him a few more...

The next day, Wednesday April 7th, they will meet with the newly created Licensing Oversight Committee to tell their side of the story.  They’ll then speak in ILR classes before continuing on their cross-country tour of colleges and universities.

The on-campus events are being organized by Cornell Students Against Sweatshops, and the nation-wide tour is being organized by United Students Against Sweatshops, an international organization.

The workers are coming from two factories in Honduras that supplied collegiate apparel to Nike before being shut down last year.  The workers are legally owed over $2 million in severance pay.  While Nike is claiming that it is the responsibility of the sub-contractors who own the factory to pay the workers, Cornell’s Code of Conduct for its apparel suppliers stipulates that labor rights violations by companies producing collegiate apparel are the responsibility of the company, in this case Nike.

Nike at first denied that it was the primary purchaser of goods from these factories, and then denied that these factories produced collegiate apparel.  However, independent investigations have found both that Nike was the primary purchaser and much of the apparel was for the collegiate market.

Given these findings, the newly created Licensing Oversight Committee has sent a letter to Nike requesting that they ensure the workers are paid what they are owed.

These workers will come to tell their story and give a human face to the struggle for workers rights around the world.

In 2006, Cornell endorsed the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP). The DSP is a university procurement policy adopted by universities throughout the US, Canada, and the UK, that sets standards for labor practices for all licensees of university logos. The DSP factory conditions are audited by the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), an independent monitoring agency free from company interference.  The committee will work to uphold the principles of the DSP here at Cornell.

The members of the committee are Mike Powers, Director of Operations in the office of University Communications, students Alex Bores ’13, Bill Peterson ’10, Professors Sarosh Kuruvilla and Lance Compa from the ILR school, Gary Swisher, the Assistant Director of Merchandise at the Cornell Store, Catherine Holmes from the Dean of Students Office, Kyle Kubick, Business Manager in the office of University Communications, and Larry Quant, the Director of Financial Operations for Athletic and Physical Education.

First on the agenda was how to handle Russell’s contract with Cornell.   Russell had previously supplied merchandise to the Cornell store, but that contract was terminated after it was judged the company had violated the University’s code of conduct by shutting down a unionized factory in Honduras as soon as the workers there exercised their right to bargain collectively.  After a long campaign that in large part built off of Cornell Students Against Sweatshops success in persuading the Cornell Store to drop Russell, the company reopened the factory and recognized the union in November.  The New York Times called it the largest victory in the history of the student anti-sweatshop movement. In light of this responsible action from Russell, the Committee agreed to reward the company for correcting its mistakes and to begin sourcing from them again, acknowledging Russell’s efforts to improve working conditions and labor relations.

“Russell stood up and did the right thing, and for that they should be rewarded,” said Bill Peterson, 10, a member of CSAS and the committee.  “Instead of creating a ‘race-to-the-bottom’ where companies search for the worst conditions and lowest wages, consumers can help workers around the world create a ‘race-to-the-top.’  By shunning the worst offenders and rewarding those companies that respect the rights and wishes of their workers, we can help workers around the world improve their own conditions.”

The focus of the meeting then shifted to Nike.  Nike has license to produce huge portions of Cornell’s athletic gear, as well as apparel for the Cornell store.  In January 2009, Nike subcontractors Haddad Group closed two factories (Hugger de Honduras and Vision Tex) that predominately produced goods for Nike, including university apparel.  Claiming economic reasons, Nike stopped sourcing from the unionized factories.  Both Nike and Haddad refused to pay the workers $2.5 million of legally mandated severance compensation.  After liquidation of the factories, the workers are still owed approximately $2.1 million.

CSAS has been campaigning all semester to condemn Nike for their lack of involvement and call them to take action to resolve the situation by putting real pressure of their subcontractors to pay these workers or to “Just Pay It” themselves.  The committee agreed to send a letter to Nike Headquarters publicly addressing concerns about the situation in Honduras.  The letter was officially sent on March 25, and expresses Cornell’s concern with the over $2 million in severance pay owed to the workers under Honduran law.  The University agrees with the finding of the WRC that Nike was the dominant brand produced there, contrary to claims from Nike, and “therefore find it unacceptable for Nike to ignore the plights of the displaced workers.”  Cornell considers these labor rights violations of the subcontractors to break university codes of conduct, to which Nike is obligated to follow.  The committee believes that since Nike has acknowledged its business relationships with these companies, Nike must “use its influence to convince them to remedy the violations.”  The letter requested a response from Nike officials by April 16.

“The letter is a great first step,” said Alex Bores, ’13, president of CSAS and a member of the committee, “but it is only a first step.  CSAS is prepared to escalate, to apply stronger pressure on Nike to compel the company to do everything in its power to correct the violations, and to everything in our power to get these workers the pay they deserve.”

“This is about student power,” Bores said.  “We, as consumers, have the power to help workers around the world who are demanding a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities.  We can help them lift themselves out of poverty.  For the Cornell Community, this is a moral imperative.”

Next Tuesday (4/6) and Wednesday (4/7) the USAS “Just Pay It” worker tour will be visiting Cornell. On Tuesday evening a worker from each the closed factories, Hugger de Honduras and Vision Tex, will share their struggles.  Wednesday morning they will meet with Cornell’s Licensing Oversight Committee and guest lecture in a class.

Students talk to Cornell Administrators

Last Friday, April 5, the Office of University Communications charged a new Licensing Oversight Committee, comprised of administrators, staff, faculty, and students, to take charge of the enforcement of the University’s code of conduct with regards to apparel purchases, and comes in response to Cornell Students Against Sweatshop’s campaign to force Nike to pay over $2.1 million in severance pay to Honduran workers.

The committee will investigate how Cornell can address this and future alleged violations of its purchasing agreements.  In 2006, Cornell endorsed the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP). The DSP is a university procurement policy adopted by universities throughout the US, Canada, and the UK, that sets standards for labor practices for all licensees of university logos. The DSP factory conditions are audited by the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), an independent monitoring agency free from company interference.

The members of the committee will be Mike Powers, Director of Operations in the office of University Communications, students Alex Bores ’13, Bill Peterson ’10, Professor Sarosh Kuruvilla and Lance Compa from the ILR school, Gary Swisher, the Assistant Director of Merchandise at the Cornell Store, Catherine Holmes from the Dean of Students Office, Kyle Kubick, Business Manager in the office of University Communications, and Larry Quant, the Director of Financial Operations for Athletic and Physical Education.  The committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting within the coming weeks.

The agenda for the first meeting will include both how to deal with the current situation at Nike, but also how to reinstate Russell Athletics.  Russell had previously supplied merchandise to the Cornell store, but that contract was terminated after it was judged the company had violated the University’s code of conduct by shutting down a unionized factory in Honduras as soon as the workers there exercised their right to bargain collectively.  After a long campaign that in large part built off of Cornell Students Against Sweatshops success in persuading the Cornell Store to drop Russell, the company reopened the factory and recognized the union.  The New York Times called the biggest ever victory for student anti-sweatshop activists, and the University is now investigating how to start a new contract with the company.

“Russell was a great example of the power consumers can have over corporate practices,” said Bill Peterson, 10, a member of CSAS and the committee.  “Instead of creating a ‘race-to-the-bottom’ where companies search for the worst conditions and lowest wages, consumers can help workers around the world create a ‘race-to-the-top.’  By shunning the worst offenders and rewarding those companies that respect the rights and wishes of their workers, we can help workers around the world improve their own conditions.”

Moving from the momentum of the victory over Russell, CSAS and the national United Students Against Sweatshops, has turned their attention to Nike.  Nike has license to produce huge portions of Cornell’s athletic gear, as well as apparel for the Cornell store.  In January 2009, Nike subcontractor Haddad Group closed two factories (Hugger de Honduras and Vision Tex) that predominately produced goods for Nike, including university apparel.  Claiming economic reasons, Nike stopped sourcing from the unionized factories.  Both Nike and Haddad refused to pay the workers $2.5 million of legally mandated severance compensation.  After liquidation of the factories, the workers are still owed approximately $2.1 million.

CSAS argues that this is a violation of the DSP and so Cornell’s commitment.

“Cornell has a responsibility to adhere the principles outlined in the DSP” said Alex Bores, ’12, president of CSAS and a member of the committee.  “This kind of thing is much more common than we’d like to think, and this Committee will be an important way of ensuring the enforcement of the ethical standards we hold as a community.”

To help raise awareness about this issue among the Cornell community, CSAS hosted a ‘Teach-In’ Wednesday, March 10^th from 5-6:00pm.  Speaking at the teach in were students currently involved in the movement, as well as professors Compa and Kubick, who serve on the committee and have studied the anti-sweatshop movement.

Dozens of students flooded into Ives 217 to learn about how their purchases were impacting workers around the world, and what the Cornell community can do about it.

“This is about student power,” Bores said.  “We, as consumers, have the power to help workers around the world who are demanding a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities.  We can help them lift themselves out of poverty.  For the Cornell Community, this is a moral imperative.”