Students Against Sweatshops

Students Against Sweatshops (SAS) - Waterloo is part of an international movement taking a stand against sweatshop conditions by raising public awareness and working to implement codes of conduct regulating the corporations who do business with our schools.

Sweatshops are manufacturing workplaces that treat workers inhumanely, pay low wages, impose harsh and unsafe working conditions and demanding levels of performance that are harmful to the workers. Sweatshop conditions frequently occur in the production of garments, electronics, food and beverages and also in the construction industry. Sweatshops exist world over, including in Canada.

Since SAS started in 2001, their work has lead to the university administration agreeing to have vendors sign a form declaring that they will "uphold just labour practices as established by statute/adopted by convention by the government(s) of their respective countries [of manufacture]". After being dormant for a time, SAS started again in the Fall of 2004 and had been active since. Currently, much of their work involves work around the FEDS and University's Ethical Purchasing Policy.Visit the Maquila Solidarity Network web site for more information on the latest sweatshop news.

For more information or to get involved, email info@wpirg.org

Media Coverage

"Students vs. Coke: Group presses University of Waterloo not to renew contract with Coca-Cola", Barbara Aggerholm, April 10 2007, The Record. Online Article, courtesy of The Record.

The Students Against Sweatshops Team