CHARGE: STATE DEPARTMENT RUNS ' SWEATSHOP ' in US.. Foreign students say visa program abused ..

U.S. government program that selects college students from across the globe to come work at beach resorts, amusement parks and other seasonal jobs. In the process, the visitors are expected to imbibe American culture, practice English and take home fond memories.

But this August, a group of students complained that their work conditions were closer to a sweatshop than a summer break, sparking demands for government intervention and a firestorm of bad publicity that federal officials are now trying to tamp down.Warehouse in Pennsylvania, staged a high-profile walkout and protest against their employers and the State Department, which oversees the program.The strike ignited a media frenzy and raised alarms in Congress, in part because of concerns that American workers were being displaced. Company officials suggested the striking students had been misled by union activists.Foreign students say visa program abused - The Washington Post ;  click  for  more..