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Date of publication: March 8, 2005

Source: WTNH Channel 8

Author: Alan Cohn

See Video Link from here:
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=3048763

College students are pushing for legislation that would protect factory workers in foreign countries making apparel for state universities.

As we enter March Madness and the UConn men and woman try to defend their national titles a lot of people are showing their pride and buying Uconn hats and shirts. But stop for a moment and think about who is making those shirts and under what conditions.

When students and fans of the UConn huskies support their team by buying tee shirts, sweat shirts, and other apparel,in many cases they're buying clothing made in sweat shops from Thailand, to Indonesia, to Sri Lanka.

Caitlynne Palmieri is a C.C.S.U. student, "it's not acceptable our tax dollars are perpetuating the global crisis of sweat shops and work place rights violations."

So students from UConn, Central Connecticut State University, and other state schools rallied at the capitol today in support of this bill that demands factories clean up their act.

Katherine Golub,C.C.S.U student, "what we're fighting for is the school stores, sports uniforms, the factories where they're made reform themselves the practices, respect for the workers, and give their workers a non poverty wage."

The bill does would not prohibit state schools from buying clothing made by manufacturers like Nike and Gear which do business with those factories. And it doesn't call on students to stop buying the clothes.

Chris Notaro C.C.S.U student, "but we're not asking them to boycott we're just asking them to support, to pass a code of conduct that clothing won't be made in sweat shop conditions."

Workers overseas make anywhere from 7 cents an hour in Burma to 80 cents an hour in el Salvador.

While state Senator Edith Prague admires the student's resolve, she can't guarantee the student's bill will go anywhere.

"Senator how likely is the legislature to act on this?"

"I can't honestly say the bill be passed or it won't be passed but I tell you this is an issue that has to be brought to the public attention."

The legislation would also require suppliers to submit affidavits about where they're are obtaining the clothing, workers wages and a sworn statement that they will meet labor laws.