3 Pittsburgh Universities Recognized for leadership in struggle against sweatshops
Submitted on Sun, 06/21/2009 - 1:23pm
CAPTION FOR PHOTO
June 16, 2009 Allegheny County Council – The administrations of Carlow, Carnegie Mellon, and Duquesne Universities receive a Proclamation (4935-09) from Allegheny County Council recognizing their membership in the Workers Rights Consortium and leadership in the struggle against sweatshops. (back row/left to right) Councilman Charles Martoni, Barney Oursler -Mon Valley Unemployed Committee, Celeste Taylor -Vice Chair of the Black Political Empowerment Project, Mary Frances Reidell -Carlow University Health Services, Joel Woller -Carlow University History Department, Francesca Lies -Carlow University co-founder of Students for Peace and Justice, Jay Marano -Carnegie Mellow University Trademark and Licensing Office, Fran Tarkett -Duquese University Office of Mission and Identity, Councilman William Robinson, Tim Stevens -B-PEP Chairman, Jacquea Mae-Community College of Allegheny County, Jeff Parker -Three Rivers Community Foundation Grant Making Committee, Elana Szymkowiak and Nicole McCandless -Carlow University also co founders of Students for Peace and Justice, Kenneth Miller –Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance. In Attendance and not shown – Freda Ellis-CCAC, Anne Lynch-TRCF, Jason Kobeda –Project Assistant at the Sports and Exhibition Authority.
An Resolution (4929-09) telling the County Administration to draft a revised anti sweatshop ordinance that includes factory and wage disclosure, full membership in the SweatFree Procurement Consortium, and a 1% fee on all apparel contracts that will be pooled to direct the resources of an Independent Monitor is now in the Committee on Government Reform.
What makes this event significant… no where (that I know of) have local affiliates of the Workers Rights Consortium been convened locally and their expertise encouraged by local officials. It is the hope of the Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance that these universities will review recommendations of the WRC and take coordinated actions to implement those recommendations: that these universities will conduct outreach to local school districts and municipalities and explain to them what sweatshop conditions are how their participation in the SweatFree Procurement Consortium can help to support workers trying to organize labor unions: that Pittsburgh’s Sports and Exhibition Authority will call on these universities to present the work of WRC and what we know about the global apparel industry to the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club.