Anti-Sweatshop Campaign Holds Second Day of Protests

For the second day in a row, students on Wednesday protested in front of Tommy Trojan against the university administration and called for USC to cut ties with companies that employ sweatshop labor. 

The protesters are members of the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation, or SCALE. SCALE members singled out Jansport, the clothing and accessories company, and accused Jansport's parent company of relying on sweatshop labor in Bangladesh.

The protest comes one day after students descended upon the office of Pres. C.L. Max Nikias -- a dramatic move that particpants say prompted university officials to call their parents and threaten to revoke financial aid packages.

In response to the allegations, the university released a statement: "USC has a long history of making dedicated efforts to help ensure that USC branded merchandise is manufactured under safe and fair working conditions. We will continue to require that all licensees producing products for USC manufacture those items only in factories that ensure safe working conditions for their workers."