From: Lauren Stephens-Davidowitz (lauren.stephens-davidowitz@yale.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 06 2001 - 13:25:26 EST
ONE DAY EXTENSION to vote for the 3 new USASers on the Governing Board of
the WRC!
Votes will be accepted until FRIDAY, DEC 7 at midnight! Don't forget to
VOTE for your reps!!
See details below!
>Hey USAS,
>
>It's time to elect three people to represent USAS on the WRC board. Below
>are four applications from amazing people.
>
>Here is how the voting process works: each USAS affiliate
>group should review the applications below. Then, each USAS
>affiliate group should appoint two liaisons to communicate the group's
>votes. Each liaison votes for three candidates, as
>determined democratically by his or her USAS group.
>
>Your group's liaisons can vote anytime between today and Friday, Dec 7. In
>other words, please review the
>applications and have your liaison vote within a week!!!
>
>Some details on the voting process:
>
>It is perfectly fine for a group's two liaisons to vote for the same three
>candidates, or for none of the same candidates, or for some of the same
>candidates. The same liaison can act as both liaisons for your group, but the
>liaison must indicate so during voting.
>
>No single liaison can vote for an applicant more than once, unless the same
>liaison is acting as both liaisons for the group, in which case s/he can vote
>for an applicant at most twice.
>
>It is permissible to vote for an applicant who is in your USAS group.
>Obviously, applicants cannot be a liaison.
>
>Just to be clear: the liaison should vote the group's preference, not
>necessarily his or her own preference. The group's preference should be
>determined by circulating the applications over e-mail, bringing paper
>copies to this week's meeting, discussing the applications in an open forum,
>and whatever other democratic methods you can come up with.
>
>The winners of the election will be the top three vote getters.
>
>Liaisons should e-mail their group's votes to:
>EMAIL: wrc_elections@yahoo.com
>Your liaisons can also telephone in their votes, to Rachel Edelman at the USAS
>office (202-NO-SWEAT). It is OK to leave your votes on the voice mail of the
>USAS office.-- just remember to identify yourself, the group
>for whom you are the liaison, and clearly name the three applicants for whom
>your group is voting.
>
>Here is a list of the four applicants, in alphabetical order. Their
>applications are pasted below:
>
>Gabe Katsh, Harvard University
>
>Shahar Sapir, Florida State U.
>
>Matt Teaman, Ohio State
>
>Trina Tocco, Western Michigan University
>
>Please look over their applications carefully, they are all
>good candidates. When your USAS group reviews their
>applications, please keep in mind that in addition to striving for diversity
>in the areas of race, class, LGBTQ, and gender, USAS also strives for
>diversity of region and school size in its representation on the WRC board.
>Information on the region and size of each applicant's school is included
>below for your consideration.
>
>If you have any questions about the voting process, please don't hesitate to
>contact us at wrc_elections@yahoo.com
>
>
>1) What has been your past involvement with the Worker Rights Consortium?
>
>As a member of Harvard Students Against Sweatshops (HSAS), I have worked
>on our campaign to pressure Harvard to affiliate itself with the WRC. Through
>direct actions and public education, HSAS has worked to increase
>awareness about Harvard's role in the sweatshop industry, show the need
>for independent monitoring of the factories that produce Harvard apparel,
>and lobby the Harvard administration to take concrete steps to become more
>accountable for the working conditions in the factories where Harvard
>apparel is produced.
>
>
>2) If you were on the governing board, to whom would you be accountable?
>What are some means of communication and accountability that you propose?
>
>As both a board member of the WRC and a representative from USAS, I would
>see myself accountable to both organizations and their members. I feel the
>role of the USAS representative is to maintain a connection between USAS
>and the WRC, and in such capacity I would make representing the views of
>USAS and its members to the WRC and its staff a major priority. I would
>also be
>accountable to the
>WRC, its executive director and the rest of the leadership board, and
>would expect open communication from them regarding any concerns they have
>or any issues they feel need to be addressed.
>
>
>3) What do you hope to accomplish in the next year as a member of the
>governing board? How will you play a role in helping the WRC reach these
>goals? Are there any obstacles that you think you may encounter while
>trying to achieve these goals? If so, how would you handle them?
>
>The WRC has reached a major turning point in its history. After several
>years of struggling to establish itself, the WRC now has the membership
>base and the research experience from Kukdong to establish itself as the
>most important anti-sweatshop monitors for colleges. My major goal for the
>WRC will be to increase its membership, especially to work with USAS to
>help start
>new WRC campaigns on campuses across the country. While the WRC has an
>impressive number of schools on board, there are clearly hundreds of
>colleges and universities that have never even heard of the Worker Rights
>Consortium, and it is vital that the WRC work with USAS to spread to new
>campuses.
>
>At the same time, WRC campaigns can often be long and sometimes
>unsuccessful. Our campaign at Harvard, for example, has taken several
>years, and while we are hopeful that recent developments will encourage
>our administration to finally join, we also recognize that our WRC
>campaign could still drag on for much longer. Therefore, communication and
>support for schools that have preexisting WRC campaigns, and solidarity
>events to show support for schools that are struggling against belligerent
>administrations, are crucial.
>
>4) How would you describe the WRC¹s relationship to universities? To
>corporations?
>
>The WRC has a unique relationship to universities, given that there would
>be no WRC if not for USAS. While the WRC has now become an established
>institution with its own staff and board, it is important not to forget
>its connection to the student anti-sweatshop movement, and the need for
>the WRC to work with universities to put an end to sweatshop labor in
>collegiate apparel production.
>
>While I think cooperation with corporations can be helpful, especially
>toward ensuring compliance with labor standard and preventing corporations
>from simply closing factories with poor conditions rather than working to
>improve them, it is also important to remember that the WRC would not be
>necessary if these corporations could be trusted to run ethical
>businesses. It is unrealistic to assume that corporations which
>profit
>tremendously from sweatshop labor will want to devote resources toward
>ending that profitable system; this means that, unfortunately, the WRC
>will often have to take an adversarial role. The important aspect is to
>strike the right balance between working with these corporations and
>lobbying against them. As the recent Kukdong victory shows, I think the
>WRC, more than any other group, has shown its potential for successfully
>taking on both roles simultaneously.
>
>5) Does your school do licensing, and what is the student body size of your
>school?
>
>Harvard has approximately 6500 undergraduate and 9000 graduate students,
>and licenses with several companies to produce a wide range of apparel and
>other insignia products.
>
>6) How do you interact with groups or with administrations that have very
>different viewpoints? In group decisions, how do you deal with views that
>conflict with your own?
>
>In working both for Harvard Students Against Sweatshops and the Harvard
>Living Wage Campaign, I have had to meet with administrators and attempt
>to persuade them to work with us. While college administration, as well as
>corporations, will often
>avoid listening to other viewpoints, it is important to exhaust these
>avenues of dialogue
>before resorting to more forceful measures. In the case of Harvard, our
>dialogue with the administration may yet yield WRC membership, even while
>direct actions have sometimes proven necessary to bring the administration
>to the bargaining table.
>
>As far as working with different views within the student anti-sweatshop
>movement, I think one of the strengths of any grassroots movement is the
>diversity of opinions of its members. Interacting with individuals who
>have radically different ideas than I do is one of the main reasons I
>would like to become the USAS rep. to the WRC, because it has the
>potential to be an incredible learning experience. Except in some extreme
>cases, where I feel the need to make a principled stand, I also try to
>yield to majority opinion, and this would be especially the case if I were
>to be the USAS rep. to the WRC, where my main responsibility, in my
>opinion, would be to represent the views of the USAS membership to the
>WRC.
>
>
>7) What do you see as the WRC¹s relationship to workers in producing
>countries?
>
>More than anything, the WRC should facilitate the development of
>unionizing and organizing movements of the workers themselves, and should
>serve as a resource for the workers in these countries in their efforts to
>improve their own conditions. I think a quote that USAS often uses sums up
>the way the WRC should interact with the workers themselves: "If you
>have come to help me, you are wasting your time; But if you've come
>because your liberation is bound up with mine, Then let us work together."
>
>
>
>8) What skills can you contribute as a USAS WRC representative? (Also, do
>you have skill in any other languages?)
>
>I have experience working with nonprofit organizations on a variety of
>issues that USAS and the WRC address, including labor rights,
>globalization, and the
>role of corporations in the global economy. I can also conduct
>conversations in Spanish (and Hebrew, if the need arises).
>
>
>
>9) What role do you think diversity plays when working in solidarity with
>workers?
>
>One of the goals of any organization that wishes to work on social
>issues such as worker solidarity should be to ensure the diversity of its
>members. This is important not only because it introduces a wider range of
>ideas and opinions but because it more accurately reflects
>the ideological, religious, racial, and cultural diversity among the
>workers with whom we are collaborating.
>
>
>10) Is there anything else that you would like to add?
>
>Please do not hesitate to contact me at katsh@f... or (617)
>493-2264 if anyone has questions. I would be more than happy to discuss
>any of these issues at greater length.
>
>Thank you for taking the time to consider me as a candidate. Whatever the
>outcome, I look forward to continue to work with USAS and the WRC.
>
>*****^^^^^^^^*****%%%%%%%*******@@@@@****
>
>
>--Shahar Sapir
>Florida State U.
>
>1) What has been your past involvement with the Worker Rights Consortium?
>
>A: I am a founding member of the United Students Against Sweatshops chapter
>at Florida State University. For the past year and a half I have taken on
>many positions of leadership in FSUSAS. In that time our group has been
>trying to persuade our university to join the Worker’s Rights
>Consortium. I am well versed in the charter of the Worker’s Rights
>Consortium, and I have used this knowledge to create pamphlets and other
>literature comparing the Worker’s Rights Consortium to the Fair Labor
>Association in order to educate the student body here at FSU.
>
>2) If you were on the governing board, to whom would you be accountable?
>What are some means of communication and accountability that you propose?
>
>A: First and foremost, I believe I would be accountable to both the workers
>of the apparel industry and the universities. Exposing
>the way workers are treated, and doing what we can to have them be treated
>like human beings is the reason for even having the WRC.
>Though at the same time this goes hand and hand with being
>accountable to the Universities/ Students because it is
>each of the member university’s apparel we essentially look at to make
>sure it is being manufactured according to the standards set forth by the
>code of conduct laid out within the charter.
>As far as communication goes I think that being in close
>contact with NGOs in the areas identified to be violating
>labor laws and codes of conduct is very important. Through periodic updates,
>via electronic and postal mail, contact could be maintained as well as
>accountability established. Assisting the workers and facilitating their
>ability to stand up for their rights is
>essential. Also, communicating with the Universities and
>encouraging them to take action to enforce their own codes of conduct would
>make them accountable for their own merchandise.
>
>3) What do you hope to accomplish in the next year as a member of the
>governing board? How will you play a role in helping the WRC reach these
>goals? Are there any obstacles that you think you may encounter while trying
>to achieve these goals? If so, how would you handle them?
>
>A: As a board member I would actively try to get more schools to join the
>WRC. One of my goals would be to set up a lecture series with the workers,
>or produce literature aimed at university presidents. I would like to be
>able to explain and show the different universities that the well being and
>interests of the workers are inextricable from the long term interests of
>the universities. I don’t think this will be an easy task but if
>approached correctly I believe it is possible. I could play a role in this
>by actually putting together the literature. My experience in putting
>together informative literature for USAS could be used to help the WRC
>expand their membership. I would set up meetings or presentations with
>University administration by maintaining close relations with USAS chapters
>around the country.
>
>4) How would you describe the WRC’s relationship to universities? To
>corporations?
>
>A: I see the WRC as being an essential ally of Universities. The WRC helps
>universities keep their integrity as educational institutions by assisting
>them in overcoming their sweatshop problem. The same goes for corporations,
>though I’m not so sure their view towards the WRC is the same. I think
>our view of the relationship should not be that of enemies but as of
>facilitators. The WRC should make it desirable for both of these
>institutions to clean up their act. At the very least we can have a positive
>effect on the way that these corporations produce their university apparel.
>
>5) Does your school do licensing, and what is the student body size of your
>school?
>
>A: Yes, my school does a lot of licensing. The student population is 27,014.
>
>6) How do you interact with groups or with administrations that have very
>different viewpoints? In group decisions, how do you deal with views that
>conflict with your own?
>
>A: I think that I interact quite well with other people
>in many situations. I like to think of myself as a fairly
>open-minded person. On many occasions I have had to work and
>deal with people who’s ideas and ideologies are quite conflicting
>with mine and had suffered no considerable conflict as a
>result. The administration at my school is a perfect example.
>My ideas as to where the school should be heading are quite different then
>that of the administration. Despite this I have had many discussions and open
>dialogues with FSU President Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte on many
>occasions where our viewpoints were exchanged quite amicably.
>As far as group settings go, I am a pretty good listener and like to take
>other people’s opinions into consideration. I am well aware that I
>don’t have all the answers and therefore value what others have to
>say.
>
>7) What do you see as the WRC’s relationship to workers in producing
>countries?
>
>A: I see that relationship as that of allies. I see the WRC
>as being a voice for the workers here in the USA. It seems that the WRC picks
>up where the worker’s and our governments left off. I think the WRC’s role
>should be to aid the workers in unionization (assuming that that is what the
>workers want of course) and help them get their message out to inform the
>public. Of course this needs to be done delicately so as not to embarrass
>the company giving it an incentive to “Cut and run.” I think
>that bringing delegations of workers to speak to students and even
>administrators can really help bring the “Problem home” and help
>people better understand the issue as well as motivate them to act.
>
>8) What skills can you contribute as a USAS WRC representative? (Also, do
>you have skill in any other languages?)
>
>A: I have experience in organizing and producing literature.
>I am also very dedicated to and care about this issue very much. In addition,
>I am fairly fluent in both Spanish and Hebrew.
>
>9) What role do you think diversity plays when
>working in solidarity with workers?
>
>A: Diversity is very important, especially since most of our work is done
>with both males and females of different cultural and racial backgrounds.
>Having a diverse group is an essential asset to doing any kind of work, and
>especially international work, which is a major component of the WRC. In
>order for the WRC to be able to aid workers it must have people in it that
>are of many backgrounds, this will make it easier to understand and help the
>workers better.
>
>
>*****^^^^^^^^*****%%%%%%%*******@@@@@****
>
>
>My name is Matt Teaman. I am an activist with Columbus United Students
>Against Sweatshops in Columbus, Ohio. I am applying for one of the three USAS
>Representative WRC Governing Board positions that are open.
>
> >1) What has been your past involvement with the Worker Rights
>
> >Consortium?
>
>When we formed in July of 2000, our group, Columbus United Students
>Against Sweatshops (CUSAS), knew that National USAS supported the WRC. We
>felt it our duty as individual members to study up on this organization and
>several others such as FLA. I did so, and was also meeting with Ohio State's
>Director of Trademark and Licensing to discuss OSU's feelings about the
>various monitoring/enforcement mechanisms available. I also attended the
>National USAS Conference in Eugene, where one of my major objectives was
>finding out just what the WRC was. I talked personally with Marakah Mancini,
>Peter Romer-Friedman and Maria Roeper and heard their takes, while attending
>a
>couple different workshops on the topic. Before classes started in late
>September, I wrote an extensive introductory packet for new members, part of
>which explained in some detail what the WRC and FLA were. We all did our
>homework and came to consensus to support OSU's joining WRC in November.
>
>Soon thereafter, I composed a letter to OSU's President Kirwan and his
>staff, approved by CUSAS, that invited them to talk with us about addressing
>OSU's use of sweatshops. We formed a Labor Advisory Committee (LAC) that was
>very favorably composed (3 administration, 3 faculty, 6 students including 2
>CUSAS spots). That February, a large group of us went to Chicago for the
>Midwest USAS Conference, where I talked further with Peter and attended his
>workshop on the WRC. While I did not volunteer to be one of the CUSAS reps on
>the LAC, I was very active organizing support for our WRC campaign among the
>student body. I and other CUSAS members gave classes formal presentations
>plugging WRC and I was the MC/Mascot at our big WRC rally in April. When
>Scott Nova of the WRC and Sam Brown of the FLA came to speak at Ohio State, I
>attended both meetings and talked with them personally. Fortunately, in June,
>the LAC officially endorsed WRC and President Kirwan soon signed on.
>
>All in all, I have done a great deal of self-education and activism on the
>WRC, and while there is still a great deal about the inner-workings I do not
>know, if I am voted on to the Board, I will do all I can to learn very
>quickly.
>
> >2) If you were on the governing board, to whom would you be
> >accountable? What are some means of communication and
> >accountability that you propose?
>While I understand that WRC must maintain an appearance of neutrality, I
>believe it was set up to help improve the lives of workers, first and
>foremost. I believe I am first accountable to the workers in the factories
>that make apparel for the colleges and universities that belong to the WRC.
>If they want to see the WRC move in a certain direction, I would feel I
>should
>work for that. In a related manner, as a USAS representative, I would be
>secondarily accountable to all members of USAS across the nation. Since USAS
>chapters are working in coalition to help workers around the world, I would
>do
>what I could to address their needs from the WRC.
>
>As far as communication goes, I know that the WRC is in contact with
>labor NGOs from around the world who are in constant contact with workers. I
>would keep in contact with WRC's Director of Outreach to assertain what the
>concerns are of the NGOs and what policy decisions WRC could make to help. As
>for the USAS chapters across the nation, one goal I would take very seriously
>is responding to every e-mail I get from individual USAS members in a timely
>fashion and proactively making phone calls to chapter contacts, especially at
>schools that are in the midst of or have yet to begin a WRC campaign.
>
>As for accountability, it would be nice if each USAS chapter whose school
>is on the WRC could assign a member to monitor WRC activities, including the
>Governing Board. These members could be on a listserve or something in order
>to discuss our actions, and could contact us about any problems (if we
>haven't
>contacted them first).
>
> >
> >3) What do you hope to accomplish in the next year as a member of
> >the governing board? How will you play a role in helping the WRC
> >reach these goals? Are there any obstacles that you think you may
> >encounter while trying to achieve these goals? If so, how would you
> >handle them?
>
>I hope to help make the WRC as powerful and effective of a group as
>possible in terms of mobilizing member school administrations to collectively
>make change in the apparel industry. This requires two main efforts: getting
>member schools to be active members of the WRC; and getting more member
>schools. At this point, I honestly feel the former is more important. I
>would like to personally contact the decision-making bodies of each and every
>member school at some point during my term, both to let them know the
>Governing Board cares about its constituency and to push them towards action
>based on current WRC findings (again, I know we're supposed to be neutral,
>but
>one can always make innocent suggestions).
>
>As for getting more member schools, I've already mentioned my goal of
>contacting USAS groups that are in the middle of WRC campaigns, but I also
>think keeping myself open as a contact person for the administrators at these
>schools is important. I'll tell the USAS chapters, "Hey, if the
>administration has any questions about the WRC, they can call or e-mail me
>anytime." I feel being available is VERY important.
>
>Of course there will be obstacles. Many school administrations thought
>they would simply join the WRC and all of their problems would be solved.
>Heck, even some USAS groups seem to have felt this way. There may be a great
>deal of hesitancy on the part of school administrations to act on our
>findings, and it will be especially difficult to try to coordinate schools'
>actions. I realize I will not be allowed to be terribly pushy as an official
>WRC representative, so I will inform USAS chapters about how they can best
>push their schools to act collectively with other schools. CUSAS has
>accomplished similar feats pretty successfully at Ohio State, so I have
>experiences to share.
>
> >4) How would you describe the WRC¹s relationship to universities?
> >To corporations?
>
>I feel very strongly on this topic. WRC's strength comes from having 90
>(and counting) schools in coalition against sweatshop abuses. That was the
>whole reason the No Sweat campus campaign began--we have great leverage when
>universities act collectively. If we neglect the schools that have joined, we
>will not only lose current members and discourage others from joining, but we
>will also waste our best opportunity to make real change in the industry.
>
>Member schools are the WRC's constituency, and the reason it exists. We
>must take great care to have a consistent form of communication with each
>member school. As I said, I'd set a goal to personally contact the
>decision-making person(s) of each and every member school, but
>I realize that working together as a board, we could easily set up a concrete
>system of communication. Even if we (very hopeful estimate here) had 150
>school by the end of my term, that'd still only be 10 schools per board member
>to keep in contact with. We should ask them what their needs and concerns are,
> while informing them of what we're doing. If the WRC shows it cares, then
>schools will respond positively, and become active members themselves. They
>will feel they own the group, and if you look at our finances, they do.
>
>As for corporations, I strongly support WRC's choice to keep industry
>representatives off of the Governing Board. At the same time, I feel
>it is important to nurture the lines of communication that are beginning to
>form. Kukdong taught us a couple of lessons. First, we don't need to have
>industry reps making WRC policy for WRC to have the ear of industry. Second,
>we'll need to have the ear of industry if we're going to make some real
>change. As a USAS representative, I doubt I can be of as much help in this
>area as other Governing Board members or staff. Still, I will push for
>greater, more
>consistent communication with industry, including some sort of regular
>meetings with industry reps, if they'll come.
>
> >
> >5) Does your school do licensing, and what is the student body size
> >of your school?
>
>Yes, Ohio State does quite a bit of licensing, but we are not a member of
>the CLC. The Ohio State University Office of Trademark and Licensing does it
>all on our own. The main campus in Columbus, where I attend school, has about
>48,000 students, and altogether there is an enrollment of over 55,000.
>
> >
> >6) How do you interact with groups or with administrations that have
> >very different viewpoints? In group decisions, how do you deal with
> >views that conflict with your own?
>
>The strategy that I and other key CUSAS members had in approaching our
>administration was to first get them at the table with us and simply talk. We
>congratulated them on their interest in workers issues and let them know we
>had similar goals. Basically, we talked their talk. It was very successful.
>They saw us as a professional-acting group who was willing to work together
>with them, and willing to do so without locking ourselves in the President's
>Office (but it didn't hurt that they suspected we were willing). At LAC
>meetings, we simply presented them with information-- lots of it. We were
>always available to answer any questions, and made that known. That is the
>same attitude I will bring to the WRC.
>
>As far as views that conflict with my own, I listen. I listen very
>carefully. If it seems that we both really want the same thing, or if there
>is any common ground, I will try to work from there and see if we can meet
>halfway. Group decision-making adds a different element, i.e., while I will
>make it known if I dissent from the general feeling of the group and will
>explain why, my duty is to make sure the will of the group is done. This is
>what grass-roots democracy is all about. I have always tried to follow this
>principle in CUSAS, going so far as to solicit views that oppose mine and
>always stopping to see how people are responding to what I'm saying. My duty
>to CUSAS is and has always been to make sure the true will of the group is
>done, and I will have the same duty to the WRC Governing Board.
>
> >
> >7) What do you see as the WRC¹s relationship to workers in producing
> >countries?
>I've already mentioned my opinions on this in some detail. Again, I feel
>both USAS and WRC are first and foremost responsible to workers. While we
>cannot always officially take sides on an issue, we can do whatever is in our
>power to ensure workers are getting what they need from us. We should ensure
>that the NGOs we work with are informing workers in factories about their
>rights under university Codes of Conduct and letting them know about the
>awesome coalition of students, universities and other activists who are
>willing to work in solidarity with their struggles. We should send
>delegations whenever timely to factories where we can be of greatest help.
>
>Specifically, I think we've seen in Kukdong and are starting to see at
>New Era what kind of work we can do. I think WRC has done a great job on
>these issues and shows promise for the future. Clearly, we can't be working
>on too many different workers' struggles at once, because by focusing we can
>achieve more with each individual issue. Still, as we do more and more, the
>industry will start respecting the measures we and our member schools are
>willing to take to respond to Code of Conduct violations, and conditions will
>begin to improve. After all, while it's great to help the individual workers
>at Kukdong and New Era, the real point of all this is to put sufficient
>pressure on the industry as a whole to know it must treat their workers with
>respect, or else!
>
> >8) What skills can you contribute as a USAS WRC representative?
>
>I am a fourth-year English and Women's Studies major at Ohio State. My
>communication skills are very good, both written and oral. I can organize my
>thoughts well, even with no time to prepare, and have learned a great deal
>about rhetorical skills both through class and acitivist experience. I have
>been an excellent public speaker since high school and through activism, have
>had ample opportunity to hone my skills. I've always made an effort to relate
>personal experiences when speaking, and have been known to move crowds to
>tears or fist-raising chants. The more educated the people are, the more
>power they have, and the larger the group gets, the better I speak. I can
>speak the language of industry, the language of university administrators,
>the
>language of students, and also relate to uneducated or very young people.
>
>I have finished my Women's Studies classes with a focus on Public Policy
>and Social Activism. I have done tons of research on women's issues,
>especially related to reproductive rights and labor issues. Of course, there
>are much more educated, more experienced people on the Board, but I feel my
>strength in this area is mainly the WAY in which I think. I am constantly
>analyzing issues from a women's rights, GLBT rights, and generally a
>"minority" rights perspective.
>
>As has been alluded to, I have a great deal of community
>organizing/activist experience. Before CUSAS, which I've worked with since
>its formation in July 2000, I served as Co-Chair of OSU's Bisexual, Gay and
>Lesbian Alliance before joining student stike support for campus workers in
>April-May 2000. Through this, I got a summer internship with the Union of
>Needletrade, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE), the union who first
>encouraged students to start USAS and along with USWA provides USAS's best
>organized labor support. Through this internship, I learned a great deal
>about how organized labor works, and perhaps more importantly, how the
>apparel
>industry works. I've visited garment factories all over, from New York's
>garment district to rural Ohio to Leon, Mexico.
>
>The latter visit was made this summer during a six-week study abroad
>session in Mexico studying NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement.
>Through this, I learned face-to-face from experts in Mexico about the pros
>and
>cons of NAFTA, but mostly about the harm that unbridled free trade can do to
>the environment and communities. I worked with three other students on a
>30-page research paper about maquiladoras in Mexico. Part of the research for
>this report included visiting a couple of homes in a very poor rural Mexican
>town that had been turned into small, makeshift sweatshops. They were
>sub-subcontracting with companies in Mexico City. I learned a little bit of
>Spanish in Mexico, but cannot speak well. I plan to study very extensively
>this summer and should be near fluent by the end of August. Mexico not only
>taught me first-hand what the global economy means for workers, but what it's
>like to be immersed in a different culture.
>
> >9) What role do you think diversity plays when
> >working in solidarity with workers?
>Obviously, it's very important when talking with workers that they can
>relate to you. It is of paramount importance that you speak their first
>language, and realistically, it is important that at least some of you look
>like them. It creates a very difficult dynamic when Asian, Black or Latino/a
>workers are confronted by a group of white, middle-class students asking,
>"How
>can we help you?" WRC has paid close attention to diversity issues both in
>the Governing Board and its staff, and I congratulate it for that. We are
>serving a diverse global workforce, and we must accordingly be diverse. I am
>a straight white male whose Spanish is crappy, and if it comes down to a
>decision between me and a qualified woman and/or person of color and/or
>someone who speaks another language fluently, I say choose them. It will be
>better for the WRC and help improve relationships with workers if they see
>people who look and talk like them.
>
>Of course, if 95% of the students doing USAS support for WRC issues are
>white middle-class kids, that doesn't help either. We've all heard this a
>million times, so I won't talk this into the ground. It's no secret that USAS
>has this "diversity" problem, but I find it more constructive to think of it
>as an issue of safe space. USAS must stop using words like "recruitment" and
>"diversity" becuase it makes people of color feel like they're being added
>just for that: color. White domination of USAS is a symptom, not the problem.
>The Principles of Unity have some good strong language to follow, and groups
>should make sure their members keep them in mind. We must create space in our
>groups for dialogue on these issues without pushing it and making people of
>color uncomfortable. We must work in coalition with groups fighting racism
>and ethnocentricity, and groups that are working to improve the lives of
>people of color. This is the best kind of "recruting" you can do.
>
>As for my potential membership on the WRC Board, I will always keep in my
>mind and others' minds that the global apparel workforce is mostly women, and
>very few of them are white. WRC should try to reflect this not only in its
>makeup but in its actions.
>
> >10) Is there anything else that you would like to add?
>This was an extremely verbose application, and I apologize for that, but
>I really feel this is all important information about me and my opinions.
>You'll have to trust me: I don't go on like this in person.
>
>If I am so lucky as to be elected as a WRC Governing Board member, I will
>be deeply honored and work my butt off to make WRC as effective as it can be.
>
>I feel this is a critical organization and a critical time in history, and I
>will treat this position with the deep seriousness it deserves.
>
>*****^^^^^^^^*****%%%%%%%*******@@@@@****
>
>
>Trina Tocco
>Western Michigan University
>Environmental studies and globalization and labor studies major (well kinda)
>I have at least 1.5 years left of school
>I am actually traveling around the world on a ship right now through the
>Semester at Sea program. I will return to the states on December 10th. The
>only way to reach me until then is through email.
>
>1. What has been your past involvement with the WRC?
>
>Well I have been around USAS and the WRC since October of 1999. I was the
>student staff person for the New Era Cap strike during this past summer
>where I worked continuously with the WRC to keep lines of communication
>flowing between CWA, the WRC, and USAS. Before that I was the Midwest
>regional organizer of USAS. I spent time talking to students
>at a number of campuses mainly in the Midwest where much of the discussion
>focused on the WRC. I have lots of extremely large cell phone bills to prove
>just how much time I spent talking to people at often very random times of the
>night about how to win the WRC campaign and/or how to sustain good
>administration
>relations through it all (I'm not to sure if any of my advice worked
>though.) I faintly remember participating in the founding conference when
>the WRC consisted of one staff person in a small office in a church in New
>York City. On a more local level I spent lots of time meeting with my
>administrations about our participation in the WRC.
>
>2. If you were on the governing board, to whom would you be accountable?
>What are some means of communication and accountability that you propose?
>
>While I would be accountable to all of the constituencies, I would probably
>lean more on the side of USAS and the workers even though it is important to
>at least listen to what the administrations have to say. I have been out of
>the loop for the most part for the last 3 months but when I left the states
>there were a number of issues between USAS and the WRC. Communication was
>somewhat lacking between the 2 groups and hopefully there are mechanisms in
>place to fill those gaps. I would definitely continue those 2 way
>communication lines and also make the random phone calls. Since I love to
>talk, I think my greatest strength in the area of communication would be to
>talk to as many USASers as I possibly could on campuses. Each campus group
>is faced with a different administration and I think its important to keep
>the campus groups connected to each other for this reason. Accountability
>has got to be one of my most favorite words. There are a number of ways to
>achieve it but I personally prefer straight up frank evaluations. I think
>in order to be accountable; one must talk to many other students to get
>their feedback and input.
>
>3. What do you hope to accomplish in the next year as a member of the
>governing board? How will you play a role in helping the WRC reach these
>goals? Are there any obstacles that you think you may encounter while
>trying to achieve these goals? If so, how would you handle them?
>
>(1) I would like to be able to get a hold of students
>from every campus that is a WRC member. As far as I
>know there are a number of schools on the WRC
>that no longer have solid student contacts.
>(2) I would also like to remind the WRC that while
>there are a number of large schools who will bring it the
>funding, there are just as many small schools who also want
>to contribute and its important to find a harmony among
>the different types of member
>schools.
>
>(1) Well since I love to make random phone calls and have lots of experience
>hunting down students, I could spend lots of time searching for 'lost'
>contacts. It also helps that I have access to long distance and internet
>free of charge. (2) The next goal of giving smaller licensing and
>non-licensing schools more of a voice is a little tough. I think some
>delicate conversations need to happen. I think it is in the interest of the
>WRC to pay more attention to smaller schools in order to find a common
>ground with a large number of WRC member schools. While there needs to be a
>balance between the wants and stipulations of the large schools, I think it
>is the smaller schools that have shown more support to the WRC and might
>possibly be willing to go a little further than the larger schools have.
>(This statement is of course purely my opinion and since my opinion isn't
>always the best one, take the statement with a grain of salt.) In the case
>of New Era, I think it might have been possible to gather up more support
>from a number of smaller schools than from a couple big schools. Hopefully
>if I am elected, I will try to keep this issue on the table and begin to
>advocate for a more varied approach to complement the varied types of
>administrations that accompany the WRC member schools.
>
>(1) The obstacles with finding 'lost' contacts would be unanswered messages,
>wrong email addresses, outdated databases, people who don't read the
>listserves and graduated students. For some crazy reason I like these
>obstacles and I have become somewhat efficient in overcoming them. (2) The
>second goal isn't as cut and dry as the first. The main obstacle will be
>confrontation. There are so many people who are passionate about the work
>that the WRC does that it becomes increasingly difficult to try new ways
>when one is connected to a certain way.
>
>(1) Dealing with 'lost' contacts has become a bit of a game to me
>since I have spent so much time in the past doing it. Generally
>if you keep trying then success is bound to happen. I have found
>this to be the case with finding 'lost' contacts. Sometimes I
>have been known to stalk people but it's all in the way people
>perceived it! (2) The more delicate goal needs to be handled in
>a more delicate fashion. I suppose I would continue to
>keep it on the table and continue to talk to different schools as a way to
>monitor if they feel change is taking place.
>
>4. How would you describe the WRCs relationship to universities? To
>corporations?
>
>The WRCs relationship to universities is one that is often comical yet
>extremely frustrating. The WRC deals with the conscience of the
>universities (or their lack of in some cases). Universities want to uphold
>their image but at the same time have licensees to answer to. I think that
>since money is involved there is a strained relationship but I'm seeing
>things get better. Administrators seem to be coming around and accept that
>the WRC is a success and will continue to be a success.
>
>The relationship with corporations seems to be one of misunderstandings
>laced with mistrust. Last month I was led around a Nike factory in Vietnam
>by a number of corporate responsibility people. We were given a
>presentation in the beginning where the man in charge of all the Nike
>production in Vietnam stated that there were a bunch of students in the US
>who were funded by unions and protectionists. I think I have heard this
>response to USAS at least 100 hundred times but I still sat there shocked at
>how this statement just rolled off the tongue of this Nike representative.
>This exemplified the overarching view that corporations have over both
>students and the WRC. As far as I know the WRC is planning to have a series
>of round table discussion with a number of key corporations within the
>university apparel arena. I think it is important to give the corporations
>this opportunity but I think it is unrealistic to think that the WRC will
>ever have a "healthy" relationship with the corporations it will often be
>condemning.
>
>5. Does your school do licensing, and what is the student body size of your
>school?
>
>Western Michigan University receives about $100,000 in royalties a year from
>licensing. The student body has about 27,000 all together.
>
>6. How do you interact with groups or with administrations that have very
>different viewpoints? In group decisions, how do you deal with views that
>conflict with your own?
>
>Listening is often what I find myself doing in the presence
>of others who don't share my viewpoints. I have come to
>realize that I'm probably not going to change the way
>any group or administration thinks about a certain
>subject but it is my duty to make both sides known.
>Obviously confrontation will occur but it must be
>stated that there are 2 sides and that compromise
>must take place.
>
>There is a cookie cutter answer to this question but I truthfully haven't
>figured out how to deal correctly with opposing viewpoints. I could throw
>out lots of buzzwords but in reality when I am confronted with opposing
>viewpoints from administrations, I find it very difficult to understand
>where their motivations lie. In group decisions, compromise and listening
>again are the best ways to go but again that isn't always easy to do. The
>most important thing is to make sure that all viewpoints are respected and
>heard no matter what.
>
>7. What do you see as the WRCs relationship to workers in producing
>countries?
>
>I was able to actually see the potential for this relationship to develop
>even further in my travels around the world this semester. I had the
>opportunity to meet with a number of NGOs in India concerning labor issues.
>It is the duty of the WRC to maintain and begin new relationships
>internationally. It is the responsibility of the WRC to represent the
>workers in the best way possible. Through this relationship, the WRC can
>bring the issues of workers to the forefront of their work back in the
>states.
>
>There are a number of innovative organizations in many of the producing
>countries and I think it is important for the WRC to focus on developing
>these relationships. Through these relationships, hopefully, those back in
>the states will have a better understanding of the needs and wants of
>workers. Now that the WRC has strong backing from a number of colleges and
>universities, I think it makes sense to prioritize this sort of relationship
>building before further investigations take place. Once workers become
>aware of the capabilities of the WRC, it is my prediction that they will use
>the WRC to better their conditions, which is the goal of the WRC.
>
>8. What skills can you contribute as a USAS WRC representative? (Also, do
>you have skill in any other languages?)
>
>I am a talker so I am more than willing to spend time on
>conference calls. I have talked to a number of USASers and
>I like to think that people feel comfortable talking to me
>about whatever issue is confronting them. I'm not sure if
>this is a skill but I have been around for a long time in
>USAS terms so I have lots of information that is stuck in
>my head just waiting to be pulled out. And all those kickass
>Michiganders out there always have my back when I get in way
>over my head.
>
>I have minimal experience with the Spanish language.
>
>9. What role do you think diversity plays when working in solidarity with
>workers?
>
>Diversity has the capacity to create a situation where more views are
>represented. While the short-term effect of this may be conflict,
>it seems that in the long run it is always better to have many different views
>coming
>together. For this reason, I think diversity is imperative to working in
>solidarity with workers both abroad and domestically. As a white female, I
>can only try to imagine how a woman of color must feel working for just
>enough to barely feed her children. I am coming from a place of privilege
>and need to be reminded of that. Diversity is one of the best ways to keep me
>in check. My experience abroad has alerted me to the all too real
>problems of ethnocentric Westerners coming into a developing country and
>trying to solve its problem.
>
>10. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
>
>I'm a fun girl so pick me!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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