(U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES'Student activists left University of Southern California University of Southern California President Steven B. Sample's office Tuesday declaring a partial victory after occupying his office for more than six hours to protest what they say are USC's ties to sweatshops.
Students and key university officials agreed to wait until May 9 to decide if USC will join the Worker's Rights Consortium, an agency that activists say better monitors clothing manufacturers that may use sweatshops or treat workers unfairly.
Since 1999, the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation (SCALE) has lobbied the USC administration to join the WRC in addition to the Fair Labor Association, another monitoring organization.
Nationwide, about 95 universities are WRC members. Several have joined the group in the last several years.
UW-Madison joined the WRC in 2000, in the midst of a lengthy student sit-in in then-Chancellor David Ward's office.
Phil Chiaramonte, associate vice president of Auxiliary Services, said the USC has been hesitant to join the WRC because it is not inclusive enough. Unlike the FLA, no apparel manufacturers are members of the WRC board, Chiaramonte said.
The sit-in started when 12 members of the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation peacefully marched at noon to the lobby of Sample's office on the first floor of Bovard Auditorium. Secretaries in the office and Sample's personal driver immediately asked students to leave.
It ended at 6:04 p.m. when vice president of Student Affairs Michael Jackson walked out of Sample's door with both thumbs up, signifying an end to the confrontation.
Both parties said they were happy with the meeting's outcome.
The students and staff left the meeting with smiles, and SCALE members who were not in the meeting greeted their peers outside Bovard Auditorium with applause and chants of \we'll be back."" Throughout the day, dozens of members stood in front of Bovard, passing out fliers.
""I would say the meeting was definitely a success,"" Jackson said. ""We've heard [SCALE members] loud and clear."" Jackson clapped toward the group outside as he left Bovard.
Office aides were initially startled as the students filed in Tuesday afternoon.
""They just came on in,"" a secretary told campus safety officials during a telephone conversation. ""Can you come help? We've been occupied.""
The exchange between SCALE members and office staff were pleasant after the initial intrusion. Students gave secretaries yellow roses with cards reading ""Sorry for the inconvenience'SCALE"" after Kelly Smith, a student worker in the office, served members of SCALE and the media cups of cold water as they waited.
SCALE members waited in the hallway outside Sample's office until he rushed out of his office around 1:20 p.m. with his head down accompanied by DPS officers, leaving his door unlocked behind him.
SCALE members then noticed the door was unlocked. They all stood up and entered the private office. DPS officers asked them to leave, but they refused.
