SOLE paired with the Michigan Student Assembly's Women Issue's Commission and activist Viticia Thames to show Motherhood Manifesto, a documentary that shows how motherhood has been falsely made incompatiable with equal treatment in American society, and what we can do about it. SOLE members especially learned much about academic discrimination toward new mothers, and workplace intolerance of the demands that child care demands.

The Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO), faced with a stalemate with the administration, and deadlocked over issues like living wage, term limits, and health care, walked out on March 25th, 2008. Of course, SOLE was there in solidarity with the union. SOLE's own Aria Everts spoke at the Strike rally, on behalf of all undergrads. During her speech, some noble rogues climbed Angell Hall and dropped a banner of support over the side. After a long day of picketing, and and even longer night of bargaining, GEO reached an agreement with the University just past midnight. Tally one in the labor column, for once.

For the third year running, we brought textile workers from around the globe for a face-to-face talk with students about conditions, wages, and attempts to unionize while producing Michigan apparel. This year we brought two workers, Julio and Manuel, from TOS Dominicana, a factory that produces for Hanes. We had record turnout at this event, and a potluck afterward, during which many non-SOLE students had a chance to speak with them.

University President Mary Sue Coleman has stated before that she worries that making University apparel ethical would be too great of a financial burden on the consumer, and demand for University apparel would plummet. While we have our own, more detailed criticism of this characterization, we think the whole point is moot. A study showed that the average cost in making apparel sweatfree would be $0.25. We were confused. Why would a measley quarter make the difference in whether or not someone would buy University apparel. Then it struck us: maybe Mary Sue Coleman couldn't afford that extra quarter increase in the price. Check out the pictures

Concurrent with the Truffles for Activists event was solidarity with the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) union, who was renegotiating their contract with the University. Several areas of Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) benefits were coming under fire, and SOLE wanted to express to the administration that we would be standing with them when the time to picket came.

Members of the Filipino-American Student Associations (FASA) and SOLE teamed up to sell truffles for Valentine's Day 2008. Anti-union and anti-labor violence have been epidemic in the Philippines, and the 2006 assassination of Catholic Bishop Ramento for supporting union efforts has emboldened the movement. Recently, picketers and protestors have been subject to beatings and arrests. Our fundraising went to their legal defense funds and hospital bills.