Target rally
continued from page 1
with the Central American Peo
ple (CISCAP) and other con
cerned groups gathered Saturday
afternoon in front of the Gateway
Mall Target store. The demon
stration was in support of the
workers’ rights to remain em
ployed and to belong to a union.
“Ninety-nine percent of the
world works, so workers’ rights
are human rights,” HRA member
Randy Newnham said. “We need
to use our leverage at any point
we can to better the plight of
workers around the world, be
cause we are only hurting our
selves if we don’t.”
Target carries clothing under
the labels of No Fear and High
Sierra, both of which are sewn in
the United States-owned Mil Col
ores factory. Displaying signs that
read “Target complicit in union
busting” and “ Jarget: Free Trade
Zones,” demonstrators passed
out leaflets to customers entering
and exiting the store.
The rally was not intended to
be a boycott. Rather, demonstra
tors encouraged customers to tell
Target to use its influence to stop
the abuses at the Mil Colores
plant and rehire the terminated
workers.
The leaflets detailed alleged
abuses at the Mil Colores plant
including “forced overtime,”
with shifts ranging from 10 to 15
hours, “starvation wages,” with
workers earning around 20 cents
an hour, and “poor working con
ditions” such as limited restroom
access during the day and harass
ment by factory managers.
The only way to fight these
abuses, the demonstrators said, is
to allow the workers to unionize.
Nicaragua is not unlike other
countries in Central America,
many of which are facing similar
conflicts both with their own
governments that condone the
breaking up of unions and with
the international corporations
that run the factories.
At the rally, customer reactions
ran from interested inquiries to
heated retorts. Someone went as
far as accusing the demonstrators
of handing out “communist liter
ature” and telling them to go to
Russia where they would be ap
preciated.
“I’d rather there be sweatshops
than no sweatshops,” one
woman snapped in the face of a
demonstrator.
In addition to customer face
offs, the demonstrators also had a
few run-ins with mall security.
Target told the demonstrators
they could not stand directly in
front of the store but had to stay
on the side.
One mall security guard even
brought out a sign that read “Say
No to Solicitors.”
Demonstrators, however, said
it was their right to be there and
refused to be ushered to one side
of the store.
The action was part of a na
tional event organized by the
Campaign for Labor Rights. Sim
ilar demonstrations in front of
stores that have contracts with
the Mil Colores plant are spring
ing up in almost 100 cities across
the country between May 8 and
May 21 focusing on the Kohl’s
chain and the Target chain,
which includes stores such as
Mervyn’s California and Day
ton’s.
"As long as it’s attractive for
these corporations to exploit
workers, they’re going to contin
ue doing it,” Newnham said.
The Neutral Observer Program ...
what is it?
b® You pack it, we pick it up and store it.
»® We’ll deliver it when you’re ready.
b® Perfect for the summer!
485-2115
009397
I
The Neutral Observer Program provides trained observers (students, faculty, staff) at events that rake
place on the University7 of Oregon campus. Their role is to observe the activity of all parties who
are present at the event. If a situation arises that presents potential damage to people or to property,
the observers) make note of what they see. When appropriate, they write a report of tlieir
observations. This report may be used in the event that action is taken ;is a result of the escalation.
Observers are not on anyone's side and are trained to make behavioral observations rather than
judgments or interpretations. Observers can lie easily identified by the bright yellow "neutral observer
badge worn around their neck.
This program is coordinated by Conflict Resolution Services (CRS). It is modeled after programs of
the same name at UC Berkeley and the University of Colorado that were developed in the 1960s.
Some points to consider:
• If you are organizing a group event and would like to have neutral observer's present, please cal!
CRS at 346-4240.
• If you are aware of a group event, such as a protest, demonstration, speak-out. or sit-in (particularly
those that have not been widely publicized), please call Conflict Resolution Services (346-0617 or
346-4240) to share that information. We will then assess whether it is appropriate to have neutral
observers present at the event.
• If you have comments or questions about the program, or if you are interested in becoming a
volunteer neutral oliseiver. please contact Annie Bentz at 346-0617 or annhb@oregon.uoregon.edu.
Thinking about your language requirement??
You could complete it next Spring in Queretaro, Mexico!
Info meeting:
Tuesday May 16
4 p.m. 106 Friendly Hall
or call
Surendra Subramani
Office of International Education and Exchange
346-1128
By next fall, there will
be nearly tWlCC as many
UO modems
and only OUC modem
number. . .
225-2200
the other numbers are
going away
this summer
Questions?
Contact Microcomputer Services
• http://micro.uoregon.edu/modeminfo
• microhelp@oregon.uoregon.edu
• 346-4412