Sweatshop protest continues to gather steam

Rodin remains critical of the growing number of students occupying College Hall. Now on their fifth day in College Hall, the United Students Against Sweatshops continued their sit-in protesting Penn's sweatshop policies yesterday -- insisting they would stay put through the weekend if necessary and drawing further criticism from University President Judith Rodin. "They have used bongo drums, they have banged on my inner office, they have physically blocked the ability of people to move into the office," Rodin said. The group, which began with 13 students and has grown to as many as 30, is rapidly gaining momentum, receiving support from various campus organizations, union workers and earning national media attention. But Rodin has not changed her position on the situation and in an interview yesterday, voiced her increasing annoyance with the activists. The group has repeatedly said it will not leave Rodin's office until Penn pulls out of the current monitoring organization for University-logo apparel, the Fair Labor Association -- which members claim is ineffective and biased -- and joins the rival Worker Rights Consortium. "We're here for as long as it takes," College sophomore Cara Kusko said. Kusko, who joined the sit-in at its kickoff Monday morning, hasn't left since to shower or attend class. Rodin has not agreed to the demands, saying that a recently charged ad-hoc committee -- which includes three USAS members -- will look into the issue. The committee, which met for the first time yesterday, will develop a University code of conduct for sweatshops, but will not necessarily discuss the monitors -- which USAS says are at the crux of the problem. "It won't do any good to have a code of conduct? without a monitoring organization," USAS member and College freshman Anna Roberts said. Rodin will meet with USAS for 30 minutes today to discuss the group's demands. "I am eager to talk to them about this," she said. "I am willing to talk to any students. They don't have to sit in my office to see me." USAS also plans to hold a rally on College Green today at noon. At the moment, a tattered yellow piece of construction paper, taped across the sign to Rodin's office, re-names 100 College Hall the "Office of United Students Against Sweatshops." Administrators are growing tired of the persistence of the USAS members planted in College Hall. Rodin said the students -- who have overtaken her outer-office with sleeping bags and posters -- have not affected her work. She said she was on campus throughout the day, although several USAS members said they had not seen her in College Hall. Steve Schutt, Rodin's chief of staff, described the environment in College Hall as "unavoidably somewhat tense." And Rodin herself also expressed concern about the group's behavior in College Hall. "They have exceeded the boundaries of what is appropriate at this University with regard to open expression and are in absolute, complete violation," she said. The group has effectively taken over the main lobby of College Hall. Brightly colored posters from various supporters of USAS decorate the walls outside Rodin's office. Bob Marley echoed from a stereo strategically placed in Rodin's office, with students typing away at laptops perched on daypacks and others quietly speaking into their cell phones. The group received a boost earlier yesterday afternoon when three representatives of the Union of Needlework and Textile Employees, or UNITE, arrived at College Hall to provide support for USAS members. UNITE presented the students in College Hall with a petition bearing the signatures of over 600 UNITE members who support the group's demand that the University join the WRC and pull out of the FLA. Rosario Machin, business agent for UNITE, told the students about her own experience as a laborer in a New Jersey sweatshop. "There was just so much abuse," Machin said after speaking to the group, shaking her head and burying her face in her hands. And UNITE organizer James Dobbs, who spent last summer working in a garment factory, also said he was subjected to bad working conditions. "The temperature was 95, 98 degrees everyday," he said. "You're in a building working with no air. They don't give you any breaks." Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Eric Dash contributed to this article.

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