Hershey: Stop Exploiting Student Guestworkers
On August 17, hundreds of student guestworkers from around the world were joined by unemployed U.S. workers and labor leaders in a factory sit-in at the Hershey Chocolate Company packing plant in Pennsylvania.
The students paid $3,000-$6,000 each to come to the U.S. this summer for what they thought would be a cultural exchange program. Instead, they found themselves packing chocolates at the Hershey's plant in deeply exploitative conditions.
Their demands: end the exploitation of student workers at the Hershey's plant, return the money they paid for a cultural exchange, and make these jobs living wage jobs for local Pennsylvania workers.
Their story: youtube.com/watch?v=8-h8EBP0JSs
Their open letter to Hershey's CEO: youtube.com/watch?v=Q1WaubnAR2o
These students paid $3,000-$6,000 each to come to the U.S. this summer for what they thought would be a cultural exchange program. Instead, they found themselves packing chocolates at the Hershey's plant in deeply exploitative conditions.
The student guestworkers aren’t the only ones who have suffered. If Hershey hadn't chosen to subcontract to have its chocolates packed by exploitable guestworkers, 400 workers in Central Pennsylvania could have had living wage, union jobs.
I demand you immediately end the exploitation of student workers at the Hershey's plant, return the money that the student workers paid for a cultural exchange, and make these living wage jobs for local Pennsylvania workers.