UWO first in U.S. to become a Fair Trade University
September 4, 2008 uwosh.edu
News Bureau
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is the first university in the U.S. to become a Fair Trade University by making a commitment to do its part toward ending trade injustices that result in millions of people living in poverty.
Fair trade products have been produced providing artisans and farmers with a living wage for their work and humane working conditions, while also protecting the environment. About 70 universities in Europe have Fair Trade University status, including the University of Birmingham and the University of Edinburgh, but UW Oshkosh is the first American university to do so.
To become a Fair Trade University, UW Oshkosh’s four governing bodies endorsed a resolution outlining its commitment to: selling Fair Trade Certified coffee, tea and chocolate in dining establishments, at catered functions and in department offices whenever feasible and within the confines of its food service contract; offering Fair Trade Certified food products and handicrafts at University stores whenever possible; and identifying and acknowledging Fair Trade Certified products and encouraging their purchase by students, faculty and staff. The Fair Trade program will be overseen by the newly formed Campus Sustainability Council.
“Sustainability goes well beyond being ‘green’,” said Chancellor Richard H. Wells. “It includes social justice as well. By becoming a Fair Trade University, UW Oshkosh is making a commitment to do our part toward helping workers around the world get a livable wage and humane working conditions. As a large institution, UW Oshkosh can play an important part in shaping the future and in supporting green practices on all levels.”
Becoming a Fair Trade University is not the first step UW Oshkosh has taken toward becoming more sustainable. The University is a member of the Fair Labor Association, and only works with vendors who have been inspected by the organization and certified as not subjecting employees to sweatshop conditions.
“Becoming a Fair Trade University is a natural next step for us,” said Petra Roter, vice chancellor for student affairs. “This is part of who we are and demonstrates what we believe.”
In 2002 the University became one of the first to endorse the Earth Charter - an international declaration of interdependence that outlines fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society for the 21st century.
In 2003, UW Oshkosh became the first Wisconsin university to join the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership by agreeing to purchase at least 3 percent of its energy from renewable sources, making it at the time the largest purchaser of green energy in Wisconsin. As a result, the University won an EPA Green Power Purchase Award and was listed by the EPA as an Energy Star Case Study.
The University also received the 2003 EPA Leadership Award - the 11th U.S. university to receive the EPA’s highest leadership award. In 2004, UW Oshkosh won a National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Recognition Award for its campus environmental audit and in 2005, the university received a second Energy Star Award from the EPA.
In 2008, the University adopted a policy to purchase cage-free eggs and unveiled its Campus Sustainability Plan, which guides its efforts to continue as a national leader in responsible environmental stewardship, education, outreach and research.
Additionally, UW Oshkosh is one of only 41 universities in the United States listed on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Web site as a large purchaser of renewable energy.
The University will also be announcing this month the results of a carbon footprint study, conducted in collaboration with Johnson Controls.
“Sustainability is a long-term commitment and an important one for higher education. Fair trade is particularly important because it is focused on both social justice and environmental responsibility,” said David Barnhill, chair of UW Oshkosh’s environmental studies program. “One of the most important features of fair trade is that, unlike free trade, it empowers growers and workers in developing countries and provides economic security.”
Barnhill added that he expects that UW Oshkosh’s declaration will result in other universities in the U.S. seeking Fair Trade University status, leading to the formation of a formal organization to monitor and support their efforts.
While there are no other Fair Trade Universities in the U.S., there are Fair Trade Towns. Milwaukee was one of the first cities in the U.S. to become a Fair Trade Town.
For more information about the sustainability initiatives at UW Oshkosh, visit www.uwosh.edu/sustainability.
For more information about Fair Trade Universities in Europe, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk.
For more information about Fair Trade Towns, visit www.fairtradetownsusa.org.
Posted in Fair Trade Towns USA News
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
UW-Milwaukee groups demand fair trade policy (news article)
http://badgerherald.com/news/2008/10/10/uw-milwaukee_groups_.php
NEWS
UW-Milwaukee groups demand fair trade policy
by Mallory Cybulski
Friday, October 10, 2008
Two student groups at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee staged an on-campus demonstration Wednesday in support of the Designated Supplier Program, a proposal demanding fair treatment for sweatshop workers manufacturing university apparel.
The Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society and the Milwaukee Graduate Assistant Association initiated the demonstration in protest against UW-Milwaukee’s refusal to adopt DSP policies.
Beth Robinson, secretary of MGAA and an SDS member, said the purpose of the demonstration was to raise awareness concerning worker conditions and the DSP initiative.
“We felt like it was time to get the student body more engaged with the issue,” Robinson said.
According to Rod Palmquist, international campaigns coordinator for the United Students Against Sweatshops Organization, DSP intends to protect the rights of workers who sew university logo apparel, mandating universities source their apparel exclusively from stores that meet standards of fair treatment and respect for their employees.
“The root problem of sweatshops is a downward price compression that pits factories against each other to see who can produce the most product at the lowest cost, with no respect for human rights,” Palmquist said.
Palmquist added simply monitoring the factories that produce university apparel is not enough.
“The DSP is to address the root of the problem and protect workers’ rights,” he said.
Eric Hemming, UW-Milwaukee Bookstore director, said the goals of MGAA and SDS student groups are “excellently” thought out and supported by the university, but UW-Milwaukee made the decision to not adopt the program because DSP policy “raises issues.”
According to Hemming, the DSP limits outsourcing to a small number of vendors in an effort to monitor the flow of trade throughout the entire UW System. But in doing so, the DSP has the potential to commit an antitrust violation in restricting legitimate trade.
“[DSP policy] takes trade away from people and vendors who are potentially doing nothing wrong,” Hemming said. “We all think that this is a very thoughtful idea, but unfortunately in the current legal environment and in the way the program is currently constructed, it is not possible.”
According to Palmquist, the DSP is currently awaiting an antitrust review letter from the Department of Justice, which could determine if it violates the law. If the DSP receives a positive review, it will be nearly impossible for the program to be challenged legally in the future.
So far 45 schools have issued DSP adoption letters.
Dawn Crim, specialty assistant to the General Educational Administration at UW-Madison, said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald that UW was one of the first institutions to sign the DSP and has been one of the leaders within the group since.
Palmquist said it is important for schools to sign the issue to gain strength in numbers.
“One school alone cannot fix the system, but as a whole their leverage is much more strong, and they can really push through the program and implement its models and practices,” he said, referring to UW-Madison.
Robinson said it is important for universities to be involved in the issue to stop the unfair treatment of sweatshop workers.
“The protest today was successful because it got people talking and thinking about the issue, so I hope that a lot of students now see that they can really have an impact and are interested in getting involved,” Robinson added.
NEWS
UW-Milwaukee groups demand fair trade policy
by Mallory Cybulski
Friday, October 10, 2008
Two student groups at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee staged an on-campus demonstration Wednesday in support of the Designated Supplier Program, a proposal demanding fair treatment for sweatshop workers manufacturing university apparel.
The Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society and the Milwaukee Graduate Assistant Association initiated the demonstration in protest against UW-Milwaukee’s refusal to adopt DSP policies.
Beth Robinson, secretary of MGAA and an SDS member, said the purpose of the demonstration was to raise awareness concerning worker conditions and the DSP initiative.
“We felt like it was time to get the student body more engaged with the issue,” Robinson said.
According to Rod Palmquist, international campaigns coordinator for the United Students Against Sweatshops Organization, DSP intends to protect the rights of workers who sew university logo apparel, mandating universities source their apparel exclusively from stores that meet standards of fair treatment and respect for their employees.
“The root problem of sweatshops is a downward price compression that pits factories against each other to see who can produce the most product at the lowest cost, with no respect for human rights,” Palmquist said.
Palmquist added simply monitoring the factories that produce university apparel is not enough.
“The DSP is to address the root of the problem and protect workers’ rights,” he said.
Eric Hemming, UW-Milwaukee Bookstore director, said the goals of MGAA and SDS student groups are “excellently” thought out and supported by the university, but UW-Milwaukee made the decision to not adopt the program because DSP policy “raises issues.”
According to Hemming, the DSP limits outsourcing to a small number of vendors in an effort to monitor the flow of trade throughout the entire UW System. But in doing so, the DSP has the potential to commit an antitrust violation in restricting legitimate trade.
“[DSP policy] takes trade away from people and vendors who are potentially doing nothing wrong,” Hemming said. “We all think that this is a very thoughtful idea, but unfortunately in the current legal environment and in the way the program is currently constructed, it is not possible.”
According to Palmquist, the DSP is currently awaiting an antitrust review letter from the Department of Justice, which could determine if it violates the law. If the DSP receives a positive review, it will be nearly impossible for the program to be challenged legally in the future.
So far 45 schools have issued DSP adoption letters.
Dawn Crim, specialty assistant to the General Educational Administration at UW-Madison, said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald that UW was one of the first institutions to sign the DSP and has been one of the leaders within the group since.
Palmquist said it is important for schools to sign the issue to gain strength in numbers.
“One school alone cannot fix the system, but as a whole their leverage is much more strong, and they can really push through the program and implement its models and practices,” he said, referring to UW-Madison.
Robinson said it is important for universities to be involved in the issue to stop the unfair treatment of sweatshop workers.
“The protest today was successful because it got people talking and thinking about the issue, so I hope that a lot of students now see that they can really have an impact and are interested in getting involved,” Robinson added.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)