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Ethan Orlinski of MLB receives testimony from Pittsburgh City Council about sweatshop abuses at American Needle in Bangladesh

PICTURE BANGLADEHS MAY DAY - The National Garment Workers Federation of Bangladesh led protest in Bangladesh on May Day. They demanded greater compensation for workers who have died in a fire at a factory sewing apparel for H and M. They march again on May 30!

PICTURE 4.27 City Council Pittsburgh - Darlene Harris, President of Pittsburgh City Council, hosted a post agenda hearing on August 27.

With help of Audrey Glickman, County officials, City officials and representatives of the Sports and Exhibition Authority heard the testimony of Kalpona Amber of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity and Zehra Bano of the General Secretary of the Home-Based Women Workers Federation of Pakistan.

Major League Baseball is actively seeking documentation of workers’ rights violations in factories sewing Pirates apparel. The Pirates are now presenting them with the testimony delivered at Pittsburgh City Council… American Needle, of the MLB Cooperstown Collection, is systematically violating workers’ legal rights to maternity leave and depriving them of legal mandated employment papers. Pittsburghers are waiting to hear what actions they are taking to protect workers’ rights and deal with licensees that are in clear violation of the law.

The IWW hosted this workers tour in four cities, the Twin Cities, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Erik Davis of the Twin Cities did much of the organizing that made this tour successful.

PICTURE AWC Tim Stevens Center Later in the day, the workers presented their testimony again to Human Rights activists gathered at the August Wilson Center. We affirmed that or campaign for Human Rights in Pittsburgh and Bangladesh is indeed the same.

PICTURE AWC University folks Local universities affiliated with the Workers’ Rights Consortium, Carlow, CMU and Duquesne offered their assistance to government officials throughout the day. The Pittsburgh Pirates are being confronted with the documentation of workers’ rights abused in factories that sew apparel for both universities and the Pittsburgh Pirates. These Universities are being courageous. This is a great example of academia leading private industry.

We are holding the Olympic Rights in this photo to remember Dennis Brutus. Dennis Brutus will be remembered forever at PNC Park. Event participants donated money to Pirates’ Charities so that we could purchase an “aluminum leaf” in remembrance of Professor Brutus that will hang on the Forbes Field wall, behind the statue of Bill Mazeroski being unveiled on September 1 at PNC Park.

The Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance is continuing its campaign asking the August Wilson Center to establish a permanent exhibit educating about the life’s work and accomplishments of Dennis Brutus.

Members of the Pittsburgh Anti Sweatshop Community Alliance are getting ready to launch a new TV Show, Talking About Sweatshops at PNC Park. We are going to move the local dialog about sweatshops and human rights to the next level at PNC Park. Pilot episodes will be shot this baseball season at PNC Park. Contact Kenneth at 412-867-9213 for more information.