A baker's dozen or so of students at Purdue University have begun a hunger strike.
Their aim is to persuade the administrators to stop using 'sweatshop' labor to produce school apparel.
The students want the university to adopt revised guidelines -
1. apparel must be manufactured in countries where workers are free to organize
unions
2. and in countries where workers can negotiate a living wage.
The Purdue Merchandise Licensing and Marketing Policy Committeed voted to not follow the guidelines.
A couple of things are likely to happen. If the students are left alone, sooner or later they will get hungry and eat.
If the students' demands are complied with, prices for university apparel will go up and they will go on a hunger strike till the prices drop back down.
If they don't want to buy the merchandise, don't buy it.
What do you think?
Bill Belew on Business in Asia
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