On March 3rd, Students Against War (SAW), a newly formed UCSC organization, held a teach-in about the war in Iraq. SAW is comprised of three different campaigns that work closely together to fight against manifestations of the war-machine on a very local level. At the teach-in each group presented its current projects and through break-out groups, encouraged new students to get involved. Here is an overview of what was brought up at the event.

I came to Santa Cruz for the trees, the ocean, and the Language program.

A friend of mine told me that when he got here four years ago everything looked different. He told me that there used to be trees where the “Porter Apartments� now are. The Language program, once strong, has been cut significantly in the last two years, with a rumor that a quarter more is to be cut over the next year. The forty students waiting at the door of each of the Spanish classrooms at the beginning of every quarter will be met with fewer teachers and fewer doors of which to wait outside.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Mr. McCampbell,

We are concerned that products sold in the bookstore may be made in sweatshops. As you know, the UC has signed a Code of Conduct committing it to only buy products bearing the logos of any of the UC campuses from companies that

- do not use child labor or forced labor,

- guarantee that workers not have to work more than 60 hours per week, with at least 1 day off.

- guarantee the freedom of their workers to form and join a union without reprisal, and

- guarantee that workers not face any kind of harassment, abuse, or discrimination.

It’s ridiculous that we are even having this debate in the first place. UC Regents, pay your workers fair wages that meet competitive and living standards, period. It sounds simple, but the fact of the matter is that the perverted spending habits of the UC Regents are screwing over their employees. It has reached the extent that workers are threatening to withhold their labor if conditions do not improve and the workers are not treated with respect.