CHANGE has been working for the past semester to get Kent State to adopt a Code of Conduct to prevent the production of KSU products in sweatshops. I am very pleased to announce that our campaign has been successful and that Kent State will adopt a strong Code of Conduct with membership in the Worker's Rights Consortium.

Eliminating sweatshops is an important part of the movement for social justice around the world, but we can't think for a single second that we can fight sweatshops without fighting all forms of oppression.

CHANGE's immediate goal in working for a Code of Conduct was to make the University take responsibility for its products and to take on a proactive role in exposing and eliminating sweatshops. But we realize that this is only a step. Only when the world is rid of all violence and oppression, can we ever truly say that Kent State is "Sweat-Free".

As important as passing the Code is, perhaps the real victory we have achieved is the outpour of activism that resulted from this campaign. In little more than a semester we have achieved a goal that so recently was only a dream. That dream is now a reality.

May 4th 1970 has always stood for the spirit of student activism. Many contend that that spirit is dead, especially here at Kent. But the Campaign for a Sweat-Free KSU has proven otherwise. That spirit is very much alive! The enthusiasm and solidarity we have seen from so many people from so many different backgrounds over the last semester is incredible. Let us now take that momentum and continue to fulfill our dreams of a more just world. In the spirit of May 4th, let Kent State be a catalyst for change, and ensure that the deaths of Jeff, Bill, Sandy, and Allison are not in vain. And I would to thank everyone for making this incredible victory possible!

Greetings, members of the Fair Working Conditions Committee. The Coalition for a Humane And New Global Economy would once again like to thank you for the work you have done in the service of human rights. The Code of Conduct you proposed is a good one, and it will be even better once it is completed.

However, there is one element in your recommendation that CHANGE is strongly opposed to: The endorsement of the Fair Labor Association. Many of you have already heard our reasons to oppose the FLA, but we will summarize them now in this official statement for the benefit of those who were not present, as well as to reiterate our key points so that they can be adequately taken into consideration when you make your recommendation.

Some people have claimed that KSU should endorse the FLA because the Workers Rights Consortium will not be operating for several months. The argument is that any information is better than no information.

But is that really true? We are all in agreement that the FLA is corrupt. Therefore it is logical to conclude that any information we receive from them will have an agenda, either of covering up the dirty work of sweatshops or to falsely present themselves as a legitimate monitoring organization. Is this kind of information really better than none?

The second claim people have made is that we can expose the FLA by joining it and proving its ineffectiveness.

But the FLA has already been exposed. [INSERT EXAMPLES] By joining the FLA we are in fact doing the opposite of exposing them, we are putting Kent State's stamp of approval on the FLA. Kent State is a large school with a certain level of prestige, and its historical significance is such that people around the world know the name Kent State. There are Universities that are already fighting to drop the FLA, Notre Dame for example. Joining the FLA will only hinder that movement.

The third argument is that the FLA works for change from the inside and the WRC works for change from the outside, therefore complimenting each other.

However, the WRC in fact does both. They work from within by creating meaningful and regular dialogue with corporations on what is the best policy. But they also report violations to the public, raising awareness and creating a movement to put pressure on the corporations to change their policy. We would like to think that corporations are concerned for workers rights. But history has proven that when left to their own devices, many corporations choose to value profit over people. The FLA does nothing to address this.

The final argument we have heard is that the FLA won't do any harm.

This is simply not true. The FLA acts as a cover-up operation and allows corporations to evade responsibility, therefore ensuring the continued existence of sweatshops. Kent State University simply should not endorse such an organization.

CHANGE is very pleased with the work the committee has done, and we want to continue our good relationship with you. But this is a serious issue that we feel strongly about. As a group that was created out of the need to address the sweatshop issue, we feel that our mission would be incomplete if Kent State were to join the Fair Labor Association.

We respectfully but strongly urge the committee to pass the code of conduct with the WRC and without the FLA.