Reposted with edits from www.uofmsitin.com
Students at the University of Michigan entered the President’s Office at about 9:00 AM Tuesday, and said they were going to stay until the University takes steps to reverse their “complacency with U of M apparel being produced in sweatshops” said senior Noah Link. The students entered the building carrying backpacks full of food, sleeping bags, and laptops. “We’re prepared to say as long as we have to” said junior Aria Everts, “This process is 8 years in the making, we need to see it through.”
She was referring to the University’s Code of Conduct, which was produced out of a similar sit-in by the same group in 1999, after which they issued a statement saying their victory was a “down payment” on the University’s commitment to take a stand against sweatshops, “Today, we’re here to collect.” said junior Jason Bates. The document codified a set of standards those like Nike and Addias must adhere to when producing apparel bearing the U of M Logo. “[University President] Mary Sue Coleman has acknowledged that the Code is rarely enforced, and that those factories that do enforce become uncompetitive and are shut-down, but has yet to take any proactive step to stem this problem” said Bates.
At 6 p.m. that night all 12 students were arrested. Please Take Action Now by sending an email to the Regents, and a fax and email to Mary Sue Coleman voicing dissent about arresting students who participated in a non-violent action. More infomation on the events of this past week.
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this is great to hear! thanks for spreading the word yochi. I think we definitely need to build a bigger, more connected and collaborative movement that works in solidarity with others! the sweatshop workers and others with least access to resources are also those who are hit the first and the hardest by global warming and rising energy costs.
its my alma mater and my friend Alex Bryan was in the group that occupied the office. this is the first case in recent history that a UofM prez ordered students arrested rather than letting them sit in. Mary Sue Coleman is not respecting Michigan’s strong history of student activism (see http://robgoodspeed.info/honors135.006.html)
Thanks for sharing this Yochi! It strikes a personal cord for me since the anti-sweatshop campaign with United Students Against Sweatshops and Global Exchange is how I spent much of senior at my own alma mater, UC Berkeley.
My first reaction is to ask: were environmental groups there? Either sitting in or rallying outside?
What’s brewing at UCB now is a coalition of progressive groups uniting their struggles under one umbrella, recognizing the commonalities between each effort and that in acting together, they are stronger. It includes Students Organizing for Justice in the Americas -which housed the sweatfree campaign and is aligned with campus unions fighting for a living wage and fair contract, Stop BP-Berkeley -which is opposing a deal with the oil company, Save the Oaks -which is operating a sit-in to protect a historic landmark, Stop the War Coalition, National Organization for Women, Students for Social Change and more.
The point? I envision more campuses doing this: different groups making the links and working together in an organized way -especially between environmental, labor, and social justice groups. For example, combining the climate and peace groups with recognition that oil is the common factor.
I hope that labor groups and environmental groups see each other as allies and act in solidarity with one another. Just jobs are part and parcel of a sustainable economy.
Long live student power!
Fabulous Nina!
That is exactly what our Sustainable Campuses project is all about - bringing together the issues to not only build human resources but more importantly, to learn about the connections between all of the economic, social and environmental sustainability issues linked to the operations, culture, and curriculum of each university or college campus.
There are many ethical purchasing policies out there for all those interested in pursuing “anti-sweatshop” campaigns; essentially you want your campus administration to commit to ethical purchasing practices that consider the well-being of people as well as the natural environment. This can affect all purchases such as clothes, paper, technology, office equipment, machinery, etc.
The possibilities are endless and there are many ways to go about it -
Yochi - it would be interesting to know the history of this group; it is clear that the group has been working on the issue for quite some time. What road blocks did you come up against? What strategies were tried? What meetings did you have and which were successful and which were unsuccessful? Which allies on campus did you have?
Anyways - glad to see the posts on IGHIH rounding out to inclusive sustainability issues!
Take care all,
Zoë
I would like to thank everyone for the love and support that you have showed of our sit-in! It’s great to know that there is so much support out there for keeping apparel out of sweatshops and making campuses safe for student protest and voice.
For anyone in the Ann Arbor area, we will be having a forum explaining exactly what students were asking for and why they refused to leave, so please come and bring questions. It will be Monday 8pm in the Kalamazoo Room of the Michigan League.
Thanks!
In solidarity,
Leigh