The deadline was yesterday. The rally is today.
Two weeks ago, members of the Progressive Students Labor Movement (PSLM) sent a letter to University President Neil L. Rudenstine demanding that presidents of Ivy League schools adopt a strict anti-sweatshop code of conduct.
In the letter, they issued an ultimatum: Allow PSLM students formal access to negotiations, and respond by March 8.
And by yesterday, PSLM had in fact received responses from both Rudenstine and University Attorney Allan M. Ryan Jr., who has been closely involved in the negotiation process.
Rudenstine stressed that Harvard has been working with a task force from the Ivy institutions, adding that "Harvard is prepared to come to conclusions in the near future."
"Meanwhile, I want to assure you that I am mindful of your concerns," Rudenstine wrote. "Allan Ryan and I (and others) continue to view this as a collaborative effort."
But Daniel M. Hennefeld '99, one of the coordinators of today's rally, said the letter "didn't say too much of anything."
"It was telling us that he understands our concerns and wants to do the right thing, but not really addressing our substantive demands," he said.
PSLM member Benjamin L. McKean '02 added that Rudenstine's response was, just as he expected, "free of content."
And although he said that Ryan's letter was "more thoughtful," he said that it didn't promise anything more specific than Rudenstine's had.
Ryan was not available for comment yesterday.
Ivy League presidents will hold a conference call tomorrow afternoon to address sweatshop policy. That conference call, along with yesterday's deadline, makes today's rally particularly timely for PSLM and their demands, McKean said.
"The date was convenient for about 100 different reasons, one of which was this," he said.
Read more in News
Yard Residents Startled by Mysterious Radio SignalsRecommended Articles
-
Students Ready To Surround University HallAbout 200 to 300 students are expected to fill Tercentenary Theater at 2:30 p.m. today to hear speeches, chant slogans
-
Hundreds at Rally Call for Labor Reforms, Rape ResourcesMany protesters in yesterday's "Rally for Justice" held their ground for more than three hours. In the end, they were
-
GSE Students Rally in Support Of DiversityPrior to a faculty and staff meeting yesterday, students at the Graduate School of Education (GSE) gave their administrators an
-
Taking Affirmative ActionsIn response to what protesters called Harvard's "insufficient" commitment to affirmative action, students from most schools in the University this
-
As it HappenedThe following events trace the end of the clubs' Harvard affiliation: * May 7, 1984: the Undergraduate Council passes a
-
Farmers to Rally In Agro ProtestHarvard's farmers are demanding the appointment of a chicken to the Committee on Rights and Responsibilities. The farmers, who have