J.P. Stevens Law Breaker This editorial is in response to the letter to the editor received from Gratz \Nasnenik and WMC, which was printed in the Feo. 13 reader issue. Such employer attitude ... suggests retrogression to the unbelievable practices involving child labor 100 years ago." This statement was made by Boyed Leedom, a former chairperson of the National Labor Relations Board in reference to the J.P. Stevens Company. In 1976 the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers union (AFL-CIO) called for a national boycott of Steven’s products and calls Stevens, “The No. 1 labor law breaker.’” Both Leedom and the AFL-CIO have good reasons for their statements. And there are good reasons for the boycott. J.P. Stevens is the nation’s largest textile company, with 85 plants and employs 44,000 workers. For 25 years, theAFL-CIO has been trying to bring union representation to the southern textile workers in the 83 Stevens’ factories located troughout the south. To this date, unionization has been impossible. The workers want the union, but J.P. Stevens does not. In fact, Stevens has engaged in severe tactics to keep the union out. Included in Stevens’ tactics are, the firing of pro-union workers, electronic spying on union organizers, coercive interrogation of employees, promotion of racial segragation between workers and the threatening of closing down factories. The National Labor Relations Board has found Stevens quilty of unfair labor practices 15 times. The only almost forward step toward unionization was made in 1974 when 3,000 workers in 7 Stevens’ plants in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, voted for union representation. P. Stevens Company refused to bargin. No one single employee to this worked under a union contract. The J date has W ithin the last 25 years, J.P. Stevens has closed 21 factories in the north putting 11,800 union people out of jobs. Stevens has fled to the south where it now exploits unorganized, cheap southern labor. And southern labor is cheap. The average southern factory worker’s wage in 31 percent less than the national average wage. Not only are wages deplorable, but working conditions are no better. The noise level in Stevens’ plants have been found to be 20 times louder than law permits; and cotton dust, a cause of brown lung, has been found to be three mne&-Vfre permissible lovqL under the Occupational Safety and Health Act . there is no lunch hour in Stevens’ plants. Employees east while they work In this day and age of social concern, how can the conditions found in J.P. Stevens’ factories be allowed to exist? It seems ironic that President Carter deems it necessary to criticize other countries around the world for their denial of Human Rights when such a drastic representation exists within his own country. How can this nation’s people accept the behavior of the J.P Company? By its anti-social, illegal activities and ignorant defience, the J.P. Stevens Company has forced the decision of boycott as the only democratic action available in response to its tyranny. c.c. reader Pennsylvania state university the capitol campus editor lyda baker biasness manager gra\ news editor carol eveschild feature editor: sports editor mike cocciardi photograph; foster copy editor louisa baskin type setter . . grady cartoonists joe horvath, jan staff jane reinstedt joan klein vito valvano debbie morrow tony romeo jeff drinnan sue middleton gayle greenwald the views expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of the c.c. reader staff. _ 4i/ p A/S^, Wml ite. 230 middle to' office w phone [7l reader opinion Stevens Shafted After weeks of publicity, the Stanley Turrentine conceri was a bomb -- financially and culturally. The fact that only 40 Capital students bought advance tickets to the concert could be an indication to the reasor the concert failed. Students at Capitol do not seem to be avid jazz fans -- or perhaps, students are not avid fans oi not so popular jazz musicians. It seems that GPP should have been more sensitive to the complaints they received about a jazz concert. Obviously, a letter to the editor defending their choice was not the action they should have taken (see reader Jan. 25 issue). Concerning the financial aspect, a loss of $5,300 woulc lot seem so bad if even 400 would have bought tickets to £ :oncert. Hopefully, future GPP concerts will be oriented towards editor Wants classes Editor: Wouldn’t it be nice to have night classes for undergraduate engineering tech. majors? There has not been any public survey for replying, but here’s my suggestion. There must be sufficient Co. Op. students who will be staying on campus while work ing. There are guys, who are struggling to make their living, and like to keep up with study. Where can they go? There are only periods that start at 4:30 p.m. which is inconvenient. I have found out that Pro fessor Morse is willing to give a night math class. What about other professors? Let’s leave out financial talks, I have heard something similar about night classes for Engineering Tech. Sudents. Is this true? Where are our administrators? I will be very glad if the C.C. Reader can bring this night class matter to the attention of the administration. Thank you. Ly Ngujen Bth Term EDET Butt rebuttal Mssrs. Mitsch, Boyd, White Kuchera, Kercher: Concerning your article last week titled Joy, butt out, I would simply like to state a few minor corrections. First of all, you incorrectly quoted me as saying “Just watch me” when in fact I said “Watch me”. Secondly, my name is cor rectly spelled Edmondson. Smoker, Joy L. Edmondson 11th Term Soc. Sci. Thank you Editor I just want to say a big thank you to all the guys and gals who helped me during the last two weeks. Many of you I did not even know, and yet you helped a stranger. The students at Capitol Campus are, to me, the great est! Again, many thanks. Sherry Shaffer
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