National Student-Labor Action Day

“Let it be known everywhere that along with wages and all the other securities that you are struggling for, you also struggle for the right to organize and be recognized.” --- Dr. King speaking to striking Memphis sanitation workers. March 18, 1968

In 2000, the United States Student Association, United States Students Against Sweatshops, the National Student Labor Alliance, and Jobs with Justice declared April 4th as the National Student-Labor Day of Action. On this day, students, labor activists, community and faith based activists around the country mobilized on college campuses celebrating the first-ever National Student-Labor Day of Action. Such campus activities included rallies, teach-ins, sleep-ins, and marches. Local actions demanded an end to the use of sweatshop labor to manufacture campus apparels, and supported campus worker organizing drives as well as campus living wage campaigns.

This year, once again, on April 4^th, thousands of students will mobilize and take action in defense of workers’ rights, living wages, and against corporate greed. This day also marks the 33^rd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was killed in Memphis, TN, while supporting the 1300 mostly African American sanitation workers who had gone on strike protesting dangerous working condition and dismal pay that kept most of them on the welfare system. The fact is that Dr. King and many others gave their lives fighting for respect and dignity for oppressed workers, the right to fair treatment and to organize, and having a voice in the workplace and in the community.

Today, as the gap between the rich and poor continues to grow, big corporations still overwhelmingly ignore such issues in our society. Behind the hoopla of the booming economy, the real income of most Americans has declined over the last quarter-century. Beneath the soaring Dow and rising GDP, (leaving the current crisis aside) the U.S. economy has generated the second highest poverty rate and the worst mal-distribution of wealth and income in the industrialized world. More than 20 percent of America’s children live under the poverty level, while the top one percent of the population owns nearly 40 percent of country’s net worth (Edward Bennett, “The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Deal,” 1999). The top-one percent owns more wealth than the entire bottom 95 percent. Between 1983 and 1995, the inflation adjusted net worth of the top one percent swelled by 17 percent. The bottom 40 percent of households lost an astounding 80 percent. The middle fifth of Americans lost over 11 percent. Only the top five percent gained any net worth in this period (Edward N. Wolff, “Recent Trends in Wealth Ownership,” 1998).

Meanwhile, Americans have grumbled about depression, chronic overwork, and the domination of their political system by nation’s increasingly wealthy economic elite. Working mandatory overtimes and speed-up hours have reduced the time and energy we have for our families and basic social circles. By some estimates Americans are working an equivalent of an extra month a year compare to 25 years ago (Juliet B. Schor, “The Overworked American,” 1991). Research has shown that higher income inequality is in fact associated with increased mortality at all per capital income categories (John W. Lynch, George A. Kaplan, “ Income Inequality and Mortality in Metropolitan Areas of the U.S,” American Journal of Public Health 88, July 1998). Business Week reported that 72 percent of Americans say business has too much power over too many aspects of American life (Business Week, Sep. 11, 2000).

Corporate America continues to sow job insecurity, erode guaranteed pension plans, and reduce health care benefits for workers. Thousands of workers are being laid off from high tech companies. Risky investment options, which tend to benefit those with upper-income, are replacing fixed retirement plans. Lower-wage workers are far less likely to be covered by any employer-sponsored health insurance or retirement plan. If this is the way the workers are treated during the “Golden” economic years, just imagine what will happen when the economy starts tumbling!

The list goes on and on.

In honoring Dr. King’s life and in solidarity with other student actions on other college campuses nation wide, the Student Labor Coalition at UTD is sponsoring “Rethinking Globalization” conference in April 11-13 on the campus, drawing more than 30 environmental, human rights, union, and student activists’ organizations. Join us in our efforts to promote justice and equality in our community and remember:

There can be no justice as long as people are held in the chains of poverty!

Student Labor Coalition – UTD 3/18/01

For more information contact:
slcutd@onebox.com - email

(972) 993-2029 x1792 - voicemail/fax

http://members.fortunecity.com/slcutd/