PSLM Fasts To Support UPenn Students

A dozen members of the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) fasted yesterday in solidarity with students protesters at the University of Pennsylvania.

PSLM sponsored the fast to support Pennsylvania student activists who have occupied the office of University of Pennsylvania President Judith Rodin for the past eight days. The protesters are demanding that their university withdraw from the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and join the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC). PSLM's anti-sweatshop campaign has made similar demands to the Harvard administration.

"Their demands are our demands so by bringing attention to their demands we hope to pressure Harvard," said PSLM member Benjamin L. McKean '02, who is also a Crimson editor.

"We support their demands and having students across the country fast puts increased pressure" on the University of Pennsylvania, McKean added.

McKean said while PSLM supports the Pennsylvania protesters, PSLM has no immediate plans to adopt similar tactics.

"There's no chance we'll sit in in the near future," he said.

The FLA and WRC are monitoring organizations designed to oversee the working conditions in overseas factories that manufacture University apparel.

Protesters have condemned the FLA as too closely tied to industry interests to be an effective organization. They recommend the student-organized WRC as an alternative.

Five colleges have signed on with the WRC, while the FLA has over 100 participants. PSLM members said if the University of Pennsylvania pulls out of the FLA, other schools--including Harvard--might follow suit.