Victory

Posted by Kerim

April 25, 2005

Another victory for students fighting to improve workers’ rights! The second one this month.

A groundbreaking agreement improving workers’ rights at Washington University was finalized Friday, April 22 ending the 19-day sit-in by members of Washington University’s Student Worker Alliance (SWA). The Wash. U. sit-in was the second longest sit-in in the recent history of the student movement!

The agreement includes:

Commitment of at least $1 million in the next two years towards salary and benefits for lower-paid contract employees, a significant step towards a Living Wage for those workers,

Membership for the University in the Workers Rights Consortium, which ensures factories producing clothing and other goods bearing college and university names respect the basic rights of workers,

The formation of a joint student-University committee with SWA representation to improve University policies so they “better meet the needs of lower-paid service workers” which includes protecting freedom of association and working towards living wages and benefits for all workers who are directly and indirectly employed by the university.