In response to the efforts of the United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), Russell Athletics recently rehired all of the workers at a factory in Honduras that it had previously shut down after its workers unionized. The student group convinced a number of American universities to cut off their sponsorship ties with Russell Athletics, forcing the company to respond.

Not only was this a major accomplishment for the young organization, but it was also a step forward in the ongoing fight against sweatshops.

According to Rod Palmquist, the international campaign organizer for USAS, a sweatshop is a broad term for any workplace where workers’ basic rights are limited. Conditions can range from simple restrictions to “modern-day slavery,” where recruited workers may be forced to work for more than 12 hours a day for little money.

According to CHS parent Nan Easterbrook, who works with the State Department to combat human trafficking, U.S. companies may not be aware of the harsh conditions that their workers undergo because a product may have a long “supply chain.” For example, it is difficult for a company to trace who supplied the cotton for a t-shirt, who sewed it and who put the logo on it, as well as to check whether all the workers in the chain were allowed their basic rights.

According to Palmquist, USAS organizes educational teach-ins, fashion shows and mock sweatshops to raise awareness about worker conditions. Anyone can support the organization by writing letters to companies that use sweatshops and donating money on its website: www.usas.org.