Today's Fact and More Press Links

More links from March 15, 2007-

The Capital Times:
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=123723&ntpid=1

Chronicle of Higher Ed:
http://chronicle.com/news/article/1807/wisconsin-will-not-pull-licensing-deal-with-adidas-over-labor-abuses

Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/03/14/chancellor_wis_wont_end_adidas_deal/

Fact of the Day 3.20.07

Workers from the Hermosa factory in El Salvador have been blacklisted from other garment factories due to their organizing efforts. Once again, this has been acknowledged and confirmed by both the Workers Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association.

Workers Rights Consortium Report:
“There is substantial, credible evidence indicating that the ability of the workers to find employment has been impeded by the blacklisting of these workers by apparel employers in retaliation for their active protest of Hermosa’s labor rights violations. The WRC has initiated an investigation into alleged blacklisting of former Hermosa workers at the Chi Fung apparel facility, a producer of university logo goods, located near Hermosa in the town of Apopa, El Salvador. While the WRC’s investigation remains ongoing, sufficient evidence has been gathered to date to warrant a clear conclusion that Chi Fung has engaged in unlawful hiring discrimination against former Hermosa employees. WRC investigators have thus far conducted interviews with 45 of the group of 63 workers who have engaged in protest activities and pursued legal claims against Hermosa. More than one third of the workers interviewed have sought work at Chi Fung. Each of these individuals is a skilled apparel worker, with experience in the industry ranging from 5 to 18 years. Though the factory has consistently hired new employees throughout the past six months, not a single one of the former Hermosa workers who applied forwork at Chi Fung has been hired.” WRC report on blacklisting of former Hermosa workers at Chi Fung, Scott Nova, Workers Rights Consortium, April 20^th, 2006.

Fair Labor Association:
“Because of the exceptional circumstances surrounding the Hermosa case, the FLA Board of Directors for the first time approved the creation of an emergency fund to provide direct assistance to workers who have not been able to find employment since the factory’s closure in May 2005, particularly those victims of blacklisting. Former Hermosa workers who have not been able to find employment, particularly because of blacklisting, will be eligible to receive the payments.” Letter to Hermosa Workers, Auret van Heerden, Fair Labor Association, December 24, 2006.