FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 1, 2000

Contacts:

Leone Hankey, Southern California Fair Trade Network, 323-931-3669

Victor Narro, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of LA, 213-353-1333

Nikki Bas, Sweatshop Watch, 510-834-8990

Leila Salazar, Global Exchange, 415-558-9486 ext. 355

Rev. Richard Bunce, Mobilization for the Human Family, 909-625-8722

Rebecca Weston, United Students Against Sweatshops, 415-648-5621



Thousands Will Demonstrate at Democratic National Convention to Protest

Party's Neglect of Working Families

Frustrated with Corporate-Dictated Party Politics, Demonstrators Will

March

for a Living Wage, Immigrant Rights, and an End to Sweatshops in the US

and

Abroad

Los Angeles, California-On Thursday, August 17, sweatshop workers, Asian

and

Latino community groups, students, religious leaders and activists will

march from Los Angeles' garment district to the site of the Democratic

National Convention to protest the party's official support of harsh

immigration policies and to demand support for living wage jobs and an

end

to sweatshops locally and abroad. The marchers hope to show the link

between

the party's corrupt dependence on corporate donations and the neglect of

the

needs of working families. The march is part of five days of protest

during

the convention which will raise issues that the two major parties, more

concerned with the interests of their contributors than the public

interest,

continue to ignore.

The demonstration on August 17 will begin at 4:00 pm with a rally in the

garment district, at 8th and Santee Streets, will continue with a march

to

the convention at the Staples Center, and then conclude with a 6:00 pm

vigil

to coincide with Al Gore's nomination acceptance speech.

The two issues--the harsh realities of the working poor in this country

and

the struggles of immigrants-are inextricably connected, organizers say.

Immigrants from Mexico, Central America and Asia are the primary workers

in

the nation's low wage industries, including garment, agriculture,

electronics assembly and restaurants. Even though all workers are

entitled

to the same workplace and human rights, immigration status is being used

as

a tool by employers to intimidate workers from speaking out against

abusive

conditions. Undocumented workers in Los Angeles face daily threats of

deportation and INS workplace raids, which trap them in a sweatshop

system.

Politicians, serving the interests of their corporate donors, turn a

blind

eye to these abuses and continue to push for "free trade" policies which

allow corporations to move freely across borders, demonstrators say.

Yet,

workers seeking employment are not afforded that same right to cross

borders.

"We are demanding a general amnesty for all undocumented immigrants,"

said

Victor Narro, workplace project director of the Coalition for Humane

Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. "Then workers will be better able to

assert

their workplace rights without fear of reprisals."

Protest organizers say it is necessary to look no further than where the

convention is located for proof of the harsh realities working people and

immigrants face daily. Los Angeles is considered the sweatshop capital of

the United States--140,000 immigrant garment workers in the city labor

10-12

hours a day earning less than the minimum wage. California is home to

Operation Gatekeeper--the program of heightened militarization at the

US-Mexico border that has resulted in a 1% decrease in people crossing

the

border and a 400% increase in their death rate.

Protesters point to attempts by large retailers to evade a recent

California

law that mandates they pay the workers who sew their clothes the minimum

wage and overtime as evidence of how wealthy interests try to manipulate

politicians for their own narrow needs. "Retailers such as the GAP and

Sears are hoping to buy Governor Davis' influence with their political

contributions," said Nikki Bas, director of Sweatshop Watch. "But the

thousands of garment workers who toil for poverty wages in California,

not

these wealthy corporations, represent the public interest. The governor

must

listen to their voices and ensure they are paid fairly."

"My family has sewn clothes for all the big names, yet we can't even

afford

to buy those clothes because we don't make minimum wage or overtime,"

said

Los Angeles garment worker Graciela Ceja. "Governor Davis can support

garment workers as we fight for justice. Retailers can and must be held

accountable under the law."

In addition to demanding accountable government at the state level,

demonstrators will denounce President Clinton's "Fair Labor Association,"

saying it is no solution to sweatshops. "President Clinton formed the

FLA

to quiet protest about sweatshop labor conditions without actually doing

anything to provide real protection for sweatshop workers. The FLA

allows

corporations to dominate their own sweatshop monitoring process--which is

ridiculous, since those very corporations have a profit-interest in

maintaining sweatshop conditions! That is why students have convinced

their

college and university administrations all over the country to sign on to

the Worker Rights Consortium=8Ban alternative, pro-worker, pro-human

rights,

and genuinely independent sweatshop monitoring system. Being that Al

Gore

has not come out in favor of the WRC proves once again, that the

Democratic

party is beholden to corporate interests!" said Rebecca Weston of United

Students Against Sweatshops.

Corporate globalization, supported by both major parties, is dramatically

widening the gap between the rich and poor across the globe. "Garment

workers sewing jeans for the Gap in Central Mexico make just 28 cents an

hour, but ask for a living wage of $1.00 an hour. Meanwhile, Gap CEO

Millard

Drexler raked in $172.8 million in compensation last year. This huge

disparity of wealth makes it more urgent than ever that politicians

address

human needs, not corporate greed," says Leila Salazar, Global Exchange's

GAP Campaign Organizer.

###



Partial List of Sponsors:

California Students Against Sweatshops

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

El Rescate

Global Exchange

Mobilization for the Human Family

Southern California Fair Trade Network

Sweatshop Watch

Korean Immigrant Women Advocates

California Students Against Sweatshops

MECHA

CARECEN

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)

Garment Workers Justice Center