Student Activists Beat Russell Athletic

Students at Georgetown University spread word about Russell Athletic.

United Students Against Sweatshops stared down one of the nation's biggest sportswear companies and got it to agree to rehire 1,200 workers in Honduras who lost their jobs after they voted for a union last January.

For ten months, the students ran a national campaign against Russell Athletic after the manufacturer of lots of college gear shut down a Honduras factory after workers voted for union representation.

USAS organized "the largest boycott in the history of student activism" and convinced the administrations of Boston College, Columbia, Harvard, New York University, Stanford, Michigan, North Carolina and 89 other colleges to end their sales and promotional agreements with Russell.

USAS also won the support of 65 members of Congress who wrote to Russell about their "grave concern about reports of severe violations" of labor rights in Honduras.

USAS activists also picketed the NBA finals, leafleted outside sporting goods stores and used social networking to build an even bigger base of consumers who would commit to boycotting Russell products.

Not only did Russell agree to reopen the factory, rehire all the fired workers and open the new plant as a union factory, it also agreed to neutrality and non-interference at seven other factories in Honduras.

In 2001, USAS supported CWA members at New Era Cap in New York who struck for a fair contract, demonstrating at colleges and calling for a boycott of New Era. USAS produced a report that cited New Era, a producer of Major League Baseball caps and other college and sports caps, for sweatshop conditions that caused injuries and unsafe conditions.