October 6, 2005 - The Bus Drivers are on Strike. The College Republicans at UC Santa Cruz organized a rally at the Metro Center to tell the Bus Drivers to get back to work. Therefore, the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice, MEChA and others held a rally countering the College Republicans and in Solidarity with the Bus Drivers.

For those of you who don't already know, there will be a BIG MARCH this Friday to support Metro's striking bus drivers in their struggle to get the buses rolling again. With enough support, the workers can get a new contract and things can go back to normal. The details:

March and Rally to End the Bus Strike by Supporting Workers Meet: 4pm, base of UCSC campus, Friday March to downtown's Metro Center for rally at 5

If you can't make it Friday, there's two other actions you can attend:

1) Solidarity rally at the downtown Metro Center Thursday evening at 6pm

2) Show that students support workers and join the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice, MEChA and others in countering the College Republicans Thursday from 12-2 at the downtown Metro Center.

United Students Against Sweatshops recently kicked off a campaign at over 40 colleges and universities to demand those schools accept responsibility for the wages and working conditions of garment workers who produce their college-logo t-shirts, sweatshirts, and caps. Vinny Lombardo repoorts on the efforts to remove sweatshop clothing from UC Santa Cruz. 3:35

On October 3, a community support rally for Head Start workers was held in front of the Santa Cruz County Community Counseling Center (SCCCC). The rally was followed by a board of trustees meeting where the workers asked the board to approve a fair contract.

As part of a national anti-sweatshop campaign taking place at over 40 colleges and universities in the U.S., students and workers from UC Santa Cruz held a rally and march to demand that UCSC apparel no longer be produced in sweatshops.

The marchers, a few of whom had family members currently working in sweatshops overseas or have had personal experiences themselves, initially educated the many passerbys in busy Baytree Plaza before marching to the Chancellor's office where a list of demands was presented to an administrative representative. The administration's follow-through will be closely watched.