A BALANCED ATTACK? UNION HOLDS RALLY AGAINST SHOE COMPANY

          The Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile
     Employees (UNITE) held a one-hour rally against "what it
     calls sweatshop practices" by MA-based New Balance,
     according to Molinet, Sarra & Baumbach of NEWSDAY.  The
     rally was held during the New Balance Games held in N.Y for
     3,000 high-school athletes.  UNITE "contends New Balance has
     turned to low-wage Chinese workers abroad and temporary
     employees to make its shoes in [U.S.] factories," and UNITE
     spokesperson Carrie Kim said, "There were students who ...
     were surprised to hear New Balance used sweatshops in China
     and other places."  New Balance spokesperson Katherine
     Shepard said that UNITE has been "attacking" the company
     "because contract negotiations were going nowhere" after
     UNITE won the right to represent workers at New Balance's MA
     distribution center.  Shepard called the rally "an attempt
     by UNITE to force movement on negotiations" (NEWSDAY, 1/14).