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Students Deliver Open Letter to University Protesting Swearshops

"Kohl's will only do business with vendors whose workers are treated fairly, are on the job voluntarily, are not put at risk of physical harm, are fairly compensated and allowed the right of free association and not exploited in any way," the statement read.

According to Henderson, Kohl's has hired two nationally recognized third-party organizations to monitor and report on any rights violations.

While the reports are confidential, Henderson acknowledged that some violations were found in the areas of health and safety.

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She said that the problems concerned such things as restrooms, fire extinguishers in need of repair and chemicals stored improperly.

According to the statement, such violations will incur "immediate and firm action, up to and including no longer purchasing goods from the vendor."

HSAS offered a different account of the abuses in the leaflets they distributed during the protest.

"Managers abuse and yell at the workers, calling them 'stupid, useless work animals,'" the leaflet reads.

According to HSAS, the entire union leadership and many other workers were fired when workers requested an eight cent wage increase.

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