Local Action in Solidarity with Workers

Get a List of Factory Suppliers

The first step in using the power of local institutions in worker solidarity campaigns is to find as many factories as possible that make goods for the institutions. When your school, city, or state adopts a policy with a factory disclosure requirement (a requirement that the vendor has to name the factory and location where goods they sell to the institution are made) first check to see if the institution is implementing that requirement. If they are (and they should be!), get a list of the factories and send that list to SweatFree Communities so we can map the institutional suppliers.

 

Involve Your School, City, or Other Local Institution in Campaigns

When workers start to organize to improve conditions in a factory that supplies our local institutions, we will ask you to get in touch with your school, city, or state government to request they use their leverage with the company to support the workers and remedy the worker rights violations. The more local institutions that participate in the campaign, the greater the pressure is on the company to improve conditions. You should send a letter to inform the purchasing officials of your local institutions about allegations of worker rights violations and request a meeting to discuss action steps.

 

Educate Your Community

Community members and local media will want to know that their local school or government is taking steps to ensure their tax dollars do not support continued sweatshop abuses. The more your community is involved with and aware of the worker solidarity campaign the more incentive there is for your local institutions to do the right thing.