March 2009

Sweatshop workers help end contract

by Tamara Conrad

at Russell.

because that would hurt the company,”

right, the factory

Wrapped in new

Bovado said.

owners shut down

Honduran sweatshop workers touring the

winter coats, the

Brands are putting pressure on factories

the factory entirely

country, years of protest plus a week of

two factory workers

for production, and the burden of meeting

rather than negotiat-

antics on campus appear to have finally

stood nervously in

these demands rests on the shoulders of fac-

ing with workers.

reached the Penn State administration,

front of the

100

tory workers, both workers said.

“Many employ-

which late last month announced it was can-

people gathered in a

The company increased quotas and

ees couldn’t contain

celing its contract with Russell Athletics

university lecture

demanded production of different clothing

their tears the day

after two investigations found the company

hall to tell their

styles, Castellano said. She said workers

the factory closed,”

had shuttered its Honduran factory because

story through an

were pressured to come in early, cut lunch-

Castellano said.

workers had formed a union.

interpreter.

es, and work overtime without pay.

Bovado works to

Norma Castellano

Moises Bovado

Two of those workers were in State

Castellano

said

“People gave up lunches and took only 15

feed and support his

College just days after they and 1,800 of

later, smiling and pulling her coat tighter,

minute breaks to meet quotas,” Castellano

wife, daughter, mother, and sister.

their co-workers were thrown out of work.

that this was the first time she had ever seen

said. “In order to keep their job, workers are

Castellano’s takes care of her two children,

Moises Bovado and Norma Castellano,

snow.

making these sacrifices,” she said.

husband, aunt, and mother.

along with thousands of others, were

Their factory had shut down Jan. 30, just

The factory produces 1,200 items per day,

“Eighteen hundred jobs lost means 1,800

responsible for making collegiate apparel

three days earlier, after the union asked for

Castellano said.

families without food,” Bovado said.

for the Jerzees de Honduras factory operat-

a minor wage increase in reaction to the

When the government announced mini-

ed by Russell Athletic. They were responsi-

increased production demands imposed by

mum wage, assembly workers were exclud-

After the closing

ble for producing the Penn State sweat-

the factory. Workers were making $40 per

ed, Bovado said.

Bovado also said, contrary to the practice

pants, T-shirts, sweatshirts and other Penn

week on fixed salary and $60 per week

“The government is supporting business-

in the United States, when Hondurans lose

State apparel students and fans wear to foot-

based on production, Bovado said.

men and not workers,” Bovado said.

their jobs they receive no government assis-

ball games and throughout campus.

“What you spend for one of those items

With 4 million people unemployed in

tance.

Bovado and Castellano are the president

[we made] is one week’s pay,” Castellano

Honduras, workers are desperate for jobs,

The factory’s closure has resulted in

and vice president, respectively, of

said.

but they don’t appreciate being exploited

Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Empresa

“We decided to ask for a wage increase

and taken for granted. Although creating a

Jerzees de Honduras, the employees’ union

rather than a decrease in production rate

union and demanding fair pay is a human

see Workers , pg. 18

Women leaders take on secretary of state role

by Lindsay Chew

White House staff member from 1978 to

ing the nuclear threat in Russia.

North Korea according to a report published

1981.

Albright was an advocate for human

by the U.S. Department of State. This

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

In 1993, Albright became the Permanent

rights and democracy. She promoted the

marked Rice’s tone through her entire

returned from her first mission abroad in

Representative of the United States to the

expansion of democracy within Europe,

tenure.

February, and the most notable “first” of her

United Nations. Four years later Albright

Africa, Asia and Latin America which she

Rice also took a run at peace talks

trip was that she chose Asia.

found her political calling in President Bill

highlighted in her secretary of state address

between Israel and Palestinian. Though the

It is no longer news that the secretary of

Clinton’s cabinet as the first female secre-

at the Sept.

12,

2000 United Nations

Bush administration was frequently criti-

state is a woman, a glass ceiling broken in

tary of state, the highest ranking woman in

General Assembly.

cized for its lack of attention to that region,

1997 by Madeleine Korbel Albright, who

the history of the U.S. government.

Condoleezza Rice, the first black woman

in 2005 Israel receded from the Palestinian

spoke recently at Penn State.

During her five-year term, Albright

secretary of state, followed in Albright’s

settlements in Gaza and the West Bank.

Albright not only made great strides to

involved herself deeply in U.S. policy on a

footsteps, but she had been on the rise in the

Also in 2005 Rice ran a campaign in the

better America’s position in the global com-

global level. One of her first acts was to

Republican Party for many years.

United Nations stating that the production

munity as the first female secretary of state,

begin a peace mission in the Middle East.

Rice served as the senior director in the

of nuclear weapons in Iran was unaccept-

but also cleared the way for both

This focused around Israeli-Palestinian

George H.W. Bush administration from

able outlined in her address at the Sept. 17,

Condoleezza Rice and Clinton to become

relations. She met with Israeli Prime

1989 to 1991.

2005 United Nations General Assembly. As

influential figures in future presidential cab-

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem

In 1997 she was appointed to the Federal

a result Rice was able to gain the support

inets.

that September according to a report pub-

Advisory Committee on Gender-Integrated

from China, France, Germany and the

“It looks like it’s become a pattern to see

lished by the U.S. Department of State.

Training in the Military.

United Kingdom.

the secretary of state in a skirt,” Albright

Making a mark on history again, Albright

Climbing the political ladder, Rice next

Rice reformed and restructured the

joked with her Penn State audience.

met with Kim Jong-il in 2000, which made

took the position of National Security

department

with

the

idea

Jump starting her political career,

her one of highest level Western diplomats

Advisor, which ultimately led to her becom-

Transformational Diplomacy, which

Albright served as chief legislative assistant

to ever meet the communist leader of North

ing the second female secretary of state,

focused on the United States working with

to Sen. Edmund S. Muskie, D-Maine, from

Korea.

serving from 2005 to 2009.

the global community to create and facili-

1976 to 1978. She followed her political

Also during her term, Albright expanded

Starting off her term with a high note, in

ambitions to a position as a staff member on

and modernized NATO. She fostered peace

August 2005 Rice was able to obtain White

see Women , pg. 18

the National Security Council as well as a

talks in the Balkans and worked on reduc-

House approval for a diplomatic parlay with

March 2009

Cancer survivor thankful for research fundraising

by Zac Taylor

pilot.

Accomplished swimmer Brandon Meyer was not able to

But Meyer said that despite the prospects

When Brandon Meyer, as a high school

dance at this year’s Penn State cancer fundraiser Thon due

he had, his fight with leukemia has helped

junior, climbed out of the pool after the

him discover what he wanted to do in life.

to knee damage caused by his chemo treatments, but his

Allegheny County Swimming Champion-

In fact, with the help of one drug he had to

hunger pangs during those treatments have redirected his

ships in 2005, the last drops of water from

take for his treatment, Meyer has found a

college career toward hotel and restaurant management.

his suit formed a small pool at his feet as he

new calling: cooking.

stood waiting for the results of the final

“I had to take a steroid,” Meyer said,

heat. He didn’t know that he had swum his

explaining that one side effect of the steroid

last race.

thought of contracting a terminal illness

Still, Meyer is optimistic. According to a

was hunger, which incidentally, gave him a

Two weeks later, Meyer was hospitalized

when just weeks before his swimming

2004 report by the American Cancer associ-

heightened interest in food. “I would watch

with a swollen throat. At the time, doctors

career was at its height.

ation, the five-year survival rate of white

the food network twenty-four-seven,”

thought Meyer had contracted a severe case

Fast-forward four years; Meyer is a junior

people diagnosed with leukemia stands at

Meyer said.

of mononucleosis—he had all the symp-

at Penn State University, and an active con-

48 percent. (The rate for black people is 39

Meyer’s father noticed his son’s new-

toms. Doctors took blood samples, and

tributor to Penn State’s mega cancer

percent.) Meyer is approaching the fourth

found interest in food and asked a family

when they were not satisfied with the

fundraiser and dance marathon: Thon.

anniversary of his diagnosis. The leukemia

friend, a master chef, to pique Meyer’s

results from the blood work, they tested

Meyer however, didn’t dance in the

shows no signs of coming back.

curiosity. Because of this experience,

Meyer’s bone marrow.

February event. The leukemia has been

“I try to find the good in it,” Meyer said,

Meyer chose to major in hotel and restau-

Meyer said his marrow was so thick that

eradicated from his body, but not without its

adding that his struggle with leukemia has

rant management at Penn State.

the needle used to extract it snapped in half

cost. The chemotherapy Meyer underwent

come to help him build his own character.

Despite the effect leukemia has had on

when it went into Meyer’s hipbone.

weakened the bones in his knees.

In high school, before his diagnosis,

his life, Meyer looks back on his battle with

After the tests, doctors told Meyer he had

Eventually his knees became so weak that

Meyer was an accomplished swimmer and

the disease as a positive experience. He

leukemia.

the decision was made to remove the weak

water polo player. In water polo he broke

advises other kids fighting cancer to look at

“At first I didn’t believe it,” Meyer said,

bones completely and insert replacements.

several of the school’s scoring records, a

it the same way.

thinking back to the day he was lying in the

Meyer’s replacement knees prevent him

feat that attracted the attention of college

“Staying positive is the best thing you can

hospital bed as the doctor told him his diag-

from participating in strenuous physical

recruiters. Meyer even had aspirations to go

do,” Meyer said, “Learn from the experi-

nosis. Meyer said he could not grasp the

activity.

to the air force academy, and become a

ence and don’t feel sorry for yourself.”

Celebrating Darwin’s 200th Birthday

NEW RECYCLED SMART

Photo by Rupesh Kariyat

Biology professor Andy Stephenson was a presenter at a February event celebrating

218A East Calder Way State College PA 16801

Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. The event consisted of three lectures, a Victorian tea

party and some hamming it up with Darwin-esque beards.

814-272-0178 www.freezethaw.com

March 2009

States, nine universities, including Duke,

from Workers , pg. 16

Rutgers and Penn State, are not renewing

As a result of this investigation, along with the workers’ tour

contracts with Russell factories, Quinn said.

across the United States, nine universities including Duke,

death threats and the blacklisting of union

Penn State ended its contract after initially

Rutgers and Penn State, are not renewing contracts with

members. The names and pictures of union

putting Russell on probation early February.

members have been circulated on the

Russell factories. Penn State ended its contract after initially

Quinn said Penn State has been relying

Internet, Bovado said.

putting Russell on probation early February.

on FLA reports to justify its contract with

“When we look for jobs they tell us,

Russell, but now that the FLA is under

‘You’re not qualified,’” he said. “When we

scrutiny, there is little justification for the

ask, ‘Why?’ they say, ‘You’re someone who

contract.

works in a special area.’”

there are numerous factories in Honduras

union, a more independent Worker Rights

The workers who were fired will likely

Castellano and Bovado said workers

that could have been closed and the corpo-

Consortium’s investigation report agrees

emigrate or work the land because employ-

complain of carpel tunnel, lung problems,

ration did not hide the fact that it was sin-

with Brovado and Castellano. The WRC

ers are exploiting them, Castellano said.

and other bone problems from working in

gling out the Jerzees de Honduras factory,

said the closure was indeed because of the

Lack of employment has also reduced

the factory.

the only one with a union. The company has

union.

enrollment in higher education, Castellano

At one point, the drinking water on site

been saying the plant was closed because

The FLA, has been criticized for its han-

said, because there is not enough money to

was contaminated, so the union organized

the apparel being produced at their particu-

dling of the investigation after permitting

afford school, creating a continued cycle of

to request potable water from the employer.

lar plant wasn’t selling because demand

factory managers to attend interviews with

inadequate human development.

Without a union, the workers would not

was low,” she said.

workers, violating confidentiality.

The union workers hope their tour pro-

have had drinking water, or a say in wages

Castellano said if this were true, the

“The FLA is getting criticism from uni-

moting solidarity with universities and the

and working conditions. It was the union’s

workers could have been put to work

versities because it messed up the investiga-

students who purchase these products will

unwillingness to settle that unnerved

assembling other clothes instead.

tion,” said Megan Quinn, member of United

pressure Russell to adhere to human rights.

Russell Athletic and factory managers, the

“The workers are capable of making

Students Against Sweatshops.

“We would like the universities to join us

workers said.

other things,” she said.

The workers asked the FLA to do inter-

and be advocates for workers against

Russell said the factory was not closed

The Fair Labor Association has been

views privately during its second investiga-

Russell,” Bovado said.

because of the union, but Castellano chal-

investigating the closure of Jerzees de

tion.

“We request help,” Castellano said. “We

lenged that.

Honduras. Although the FLA reported the

As a result of this investigation, along

have children. We have no jobs. We’re hop-

“This is a lie,” Castellano said. She said

factory closure was not because of the

with the workers’ tour across the United

ing this factory will reopen.”

first running for and winning a seat in the

from Women , pg. 16

U.S. Senate representing New York. Then

she ran a historic race in the 2008 presiden-

tate a democratic atmosphere which she

tial elections that pitted the first major party

outlined in an address at the 2007 Private

female candidate against the first major

Teamsters

Sector Summit of Public Diplomacy.

party black candidate in the Democratic

Rounding out this female political power-

Party primary.

house is the newly-appointed Hillary

Clinton was then chosen by President

Local 8

Rodham Clinton.

Barack Obama to serve as the 67th secre-

In 1993, Clinton became the first lady of

tary of state.

PRIDE - UNITY - STRENGTH

the United States and with this position she

Starting her term off, Clinton visited Asia

became motivating force behind many

in her first effort to ensure the global com-

PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

reforms in the United States. One reform

munity that things are going to change for

OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUTH SPORTS

was healthcare, a firestorm that ended with

the better.

her receding into the background of her

These are three notable women making

Please help support the

husband’s presidential role.

history in the United States in what Albright

Clinton pursued her political ambition by

called a pattern of women in power.

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