Obviously the campaign must begin with some research into who is making the decisions about the source of your university merchandise. Is it the university administration, or your student union? This determines the key target of the campaign. However, meaningful change can only be achieved through building a strong movement of support for your cause…
A Fairtrade University? Make the link!
Over 60 UK universities now have Fairtrade Status. If your university is one of these, you can take the campaign further by working to ensure that all clothes bought and sold by your university or college are sweat-free. Get the university Fairtrade steering group on board, as well as the staff and students supportive of the previous Fairtrade Status work.
Petitions
Petitions can be a particularly effective way of demonstrating support for the campaign. For example, saying that the majority of the student body supports your demands is a powerful message to send to decision-makers. The petition could be on paper, online, or more creative… Share your ideas with other groups on the P&P website — email us.
Trade unions on campus
The University and College Union (UCU) representing academic staff, Unite representing the university’s technical staff or Unison, representing the university’s cleaners, caterers and administrators, could also pass motions of support for the campaign to redress your campus. Get in touch with local union reps through the unions’ websites and talk to them about the campaign — it’s important to make your coalition of supporters as broad as possible.
Pass a student union motion…
Your student union buys hoodies for union officers and societies, and may also be responsible for ordering and selling university and college merchandise. The student union executive are bound by student union policy, so you can pass a motion committing the union to use suppliers who can guarantee that workers’ rights have been respected at every stage of production.
You can also use the motion to make the Student Union commit to research the production conditions for general university merchandise, and campaign for this to be sweatshop-free.
Different unions work in slightly different ways but there are usually a permanent representative Union Council and/or a Union General Meeting (UGM) where Union policy is set. Find out details from your SU. There are usually four stages to go through:
1) Get the motion onto the UGM/Union Council agenda.
Find out when the next UGM/Union Council is and the deadline for getting a motion onto the meeting agenda. When you submit the motion you’ll usually need the names of two people, one to propose and one to second the motion. These people will need to be prepared to speak on the motion at the UGM/ Union Council.
2) Write the motion.
Sabbaticals may help you with this.
Motions are usually structured in three sections:
1.“This Union notes”: the facts that underpin the motion.
2.“This Union believes”: the principles that mean the Union should act on them.
3.“This Union resolves”: what you want the union to do.
See some sample motions.
3) Attend the UGM/Union Council.
Get as many supporters as you can along to the meeting: publicise it, and maybe hold an event like a debate beforehand to get people interested. Hand out leaflets to people as they go into the meeting so that they know what the campaign is about.
Be prepared to answer questions during the debate. The discussion will probably take the form someone proposing the motion (speaking in favour), then a balanced debate of alternating discussions in favour and against.
The motion can be amended, so if there is one sticking point you can delete it or vote on it separately and keep the rest (of course this means it can end up watered down - or occasionally improved!).
4) After the UGM/Union Council
Meet up with the Sabbatical officers to work out how they’re going to follow through on what was voted on.