To Demand Gap & Walmart Join Fire And Safety Agreement Signed By 50 Apparel Companies, Labor Rights Groups Protest At Retailers In Over 30 Cities Saturday

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), labor unions and community groups will hold protests at Gap and Walmart stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on Saturday, June 29. Organizers are demanding that the companies sign onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which holds corporations legally responsible for the safety of garment workers in Bangladesh.

In response to the April 2013, Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1,127 workers, apparel giants such as H&M, PVH and Abercrombie & Fitch signed the binding agreement. But rather than participate in a labor-backed plan that could address the problems in Bangladesh's garment industry, the Gap and Walmart have pursued their own non-binding agreement. The Worker Rights Consortium, an independent labor monitoring organization, has denounced the Gap and Walmart's alternative as a cop-out that does nothing to protect workers.

What:   Protests at Gap and Walmart stores demanding the retail giants sign on to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh

Who:  United Students Against Sweatshops and labor groups including United Steelworkers, Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, Amalgamated Transit Union, American Federation of Teachers, Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, Bangladesh Garment & Industrial Workers Federation, Clean Clothes Campaign, IndustriALL, International Labor Rights Forum, Jobs With Justice, Labor Behind the Label, Maquila Solidarity Network, People & Planet, National Garment Workers Federation (Bangladesh), United Auto Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers, and Workers United (SEIU). See signatories on Statement of Support for the Day of Action.

Where:  Gap and Walmart stores across the world. See the list of events currently scheduled.

When:  Saturday, June 29, 2013

USAS is North America's largest student-run campaign organization, with affiliated organizations on over 150 college campuses advocating for the rights of workers on our campuses, in our communities and making our college apparel. Learn more at usas.org and gapdeathtraps.com

The United Steelworkers (USW) represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers—not just corporations and CEOs—benefit from today's global economy. www.seiu.org

SOURCE Service Employees International Union