U.S. students win ‘new day’ for Honduran workers

The students charged that the company used intimidation and harassment in response to the workers' efforts to unionize at the plant in Choloma, Honduras, finally closing the factory in January.

The U.S. students conducted what they say is one of the largest boycotts in the history of modern student activism.

"Now, as a direct result of our efforts, we have won an unprecedented victory - the company has agreed to meet worker demands to reopen the factory and re-hire all 1,200 workers, who have been without jobs for 10 months or more," USAS says on its web site.

The statement continues, "This is one of the most significant youth-led campaign victories in recent times and one of the most significant campaign victories of the global justice movement. No one has ever forced a multinational corporation to reopen a facility it shut down in the global race to the bottom."

The student group said the victory "has also proven that together, we can successfully fight back when those in power take advantage of the economic crisis to attack workers. ... We can fight back - and win - against policies that benefit a privileged few and hurt our communities."