Workers co-ops, such as Footprint, were formed out of the Labour movement and acted as a response to the exploitation of workers in a capitalist system. These co-op's were originally founded around the Rochdale principles. Footprint as a group are passionate about create a fair and equal work environment - all workers are paid the same wage, above the minimum wage, and they do not take on unpaid interns. All money goes into the worker and the running of the business, and any profit made is distributed to charitable causes (Black Lives Matter, Leeds No Borders, trans health) or
Footprint have a very strong moral code, and do not print any content that the group does not believe in (homophobic or transphobic content, or any political content, stressing the importance of giving back to the local community. They also give a 10% printing discount to other co-ops and grassroots companies.
Co-op's are a particularly strong feature in the North of England and Leeds provides a lot of regular work for the Footprint Co-op through music and art scenes. Footprint states that social media fuels a lot of the exposure that the group receive, helping them to connect with potential collaborators and organise events.
Footprint was a company that I had reached out to in connection with my zine project Shy Bairns and subsequently worked with to print the project. This talk provided me with the opportunity to meet some of the workers at Footprint face to face and discuss Risograph printing. They gave me some recommendations of suppliers for Risograph materials and other co-op's and collectives that I might be able to collaborate with. We also talked in length about the benefits of working in a co-op and the importance of cooperative groups, particularly for students and young professionals.