By: Jessica Jones, Administrative Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Alfred Brownell, Liberian Environment Justice Lawyer, recently visited the Institute for Policy Studies to discuss Firestone Tire and Rubber Company's domination and oppression that has gripped the Liberian people for generations and how the the nonprofit sector can assist to end this reign of power. 

Brownell stated “there is no way to talk about democratic social reform…there is no way anyone can think about addressing those issues without thinking about Firestone.” Firestone has, for the last 82 years, entrenched itself deeply into Liberia’s economic, political and social structure. In a country whose average life-span is lower than 59 years (World Bank), Firestone has reaped generations that have yet to experience a life without forced labor, child labor, poor working conditions, and environmental destruction. Brownell, simply, offered the question: What kind of institutions do the Liberian people need to achieve their goals?

While the current class action lawsuit against Firestone is still pending, the time has come to strengthen Liberia’s civil society. Brownell stated the implications of these cases are great – “when you take a company to court, you cause the country to believe in the spirit of the law.” One of the many challenges that exist is creating a trickle-down effect of information to the rubber plantation workers so that they have the educational tools to be empowered. International advocates have joined together to enact legislative  change to guarantee the basic rights of the Liberian people, and similarly, the growing Liberian civil society can build a movement which teaches people how to ensure that companies and the legislature will abide by the rules. It was this type of action that brought about this class action lawsuit. Brownell highlighted that it has been the children, forced to work for Firestone that have often been the backbone of this struggle. With little to no experience with a genuine democratic society and a history of corrupt leaders, Liria is not without its challenges.  However, groups such as the Liberia Civil Society Forum are proof that there is investment in a nation without corruption. Brownell, himself, is a testament to this ideal.  Throughout the session, Brownell stressed the importance of civil society’s transparency and distinct separation from the political arena, but remained optimistic about Liberia’s future “If we do not get firestone right, we are not going to get any other multi-national company right.”

You can join in solidarity with Firestone workers in Liberia by taking these actions by emailing Firestone here.

Alfred Lahai Brownell is the President and Founder of the Association of Environmental Lawyers of Liberia (Green Advocates), based in Monrovia. Green Advocates is Liberia's premier human rights and environmental justice organization. Green Advocates is working to end slave like conditions and child labor at Bridgestone/Firestone rubber plantations in Liberia. Counselor Brownell's research work with workers on the plantation led to the filing of an Alien Tort Claim Act Case against Bridgestone/Firestone in the United States. The case is proceeding in U.S. Federal Court in Indiana.

By Bjorn Claeson, Director of SweatFree Communities

How many more workers will have to pay with their lives to absorb the terrible cost of apparel companies’ low-road, bottom-price business model?

Close to 10 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2010, twenty-one workers died when the Garib & Garib Sweater Factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, caught fire for the second time in six months. Local news media reported thick black smoke caused by burning acrylic yarn spreading throughout the building.  Lasting nearly two hours, the fire consumed the oxygen in the air, suffocating the workers.  The smoke could not get out because the building was poorly ventilated.  Workers could not escape because exits were locked.  Fire fighters had to cut the window grills to get in, hampering rescue efforts.  The factory’s own fire-fighting equipment, they report, was "virtually useless."

Swedish news media quoted a surviving worker, Abdul Momin, who lost an aunt in the fire:

Everyone who worked on the top floor died, because the exits were locked.  All of them were women.  They were trapped and they suffocated.

Garib & Garib makes sweaters for major apparel brands and retailers, including Swedish H&M, Canadian Mark’s Work Wearhouse, and Italian Terranova.  These retailers assure consumers their brands are safe-to-buy, pointing to codes of conduct for factory suppliers, factory auditing, and ethical sourcing programs.

Mark’s Work Wearhouse explains that they conduct “social compliance audits, mainly with our partner Bureau Veritas (BV), based on BV's audit standards, which follow the International Labour Organizations (ILO) base standards.”

H&M boasts: “Since 2005 H&M has been an accredited company in the Fair Labor Association (FLA). … Our participation in the FLA is a way of demonstrating to our stakeholders how well our follow-up work in the factories is working. … We also use the results from the FLA’s audits as a benchmark in order to ensure the quality of our internal monitoring program.”

Yet, one may wonder if fires have now become part of apparel companies’ business equation for Bangladesh.  In the aftermath of Thursday’s fire, The Daily Star published this (incomplete) list of recent garment factory fires in Bangladesh:

• 62 killed at KTS Garments, Chittagong 2006
• 32 killed at Saraka Garments, Dhaka 1990
• 24 killed at Shanghai Apparels, Dhaka 1997
• 23 killed at Macro Sweater, Dhaka 2000
• 23 killed at Chowdhury Knitwear, Narsingdi 2004
• 23 killed at Shan Knitting, Narayanganj 2005
• 22 killed at Lusaka Garments, Dhaka 1996
• 20 killed at Jahanara Fashion, Narayanganj 1997
• 12 killed at Globe Knitting, Dhaka 2000

The Daily Star reminds its readers that just six months ago a fire broke out at the very same factory, Garib & Garib, killing a fire fighter.  “Locals and firefighters said the owners do not seem to have learned much from the fire in the same building six months back,” the paper reports.  Nor have the apparel brands.  All their factory audits seemingly could not prevent another tragedy.

Factory fires in Bangladesh are the predictable outcome of the lethal “low-price-at-any-cost” business model that ignites a race to the bottom in which Bangladesh is one of the victors, claiming “ground zero” in working conditions.  More than 4,000 factories and two millions workers in Bangladesh now toil at ground zero at a terrible cost to human lives.

In the aftermath of the fire, the apparel brands and others will investigate and discussion will focus on faulty equipment, lack of training and fire-drills, and perhaps there will be concerns raised about locked exits and poor ventilation.  But there are bigger questions that must not be missed:

• Why do factory audits fail to prevent fires?  Why are the fires so common?
• Why do we allow workers in Bangladesh to subsidize the cost of clothing we buy?  How much do they pay—in poor working and living conditions—for every item of cheap clothing we buy?
• Why does the garment sector in Bangladesh continue to grow despite the fires and despite the abusive working conditions that nobody—not even the brands themselves—deny?
• Why were workers still in the factory at 10 p.m.? Why were they locked in?

Until we ask such questions—and get honest answers—garment factories will continue to burn and workers will die. Garib & Garib reportedly will be open for business again as soon as this Tuesday, just five days after the fire, the list of dead workers now just a hazy blur, a temporary interruption and an acceptable cost of business.  According to a company director, the factory is “fully compliant.”

By Michelle Petrotta, Program Officer, International Labor Rights Forum

As the world celebrates the 100th International Women's Day, the United Nations Commission on Women is in New York, reviewing progress of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action that was agreed upon in 1995.  Fifteen years after the international communities committed to take all necessary measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the girl child, women are still not free from discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Women often make up between 70-90 percent of the total work force in export processing zones in developing countries throughout Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. While increased access to employment has provided new economic opportunities for women, the work they perform remains precarious as they are systematically denied rights to regular pay, working hours, equal pay for equal work, safe and non-hazardous work environments, and permanent contracts where their right to organize in labor unions is respected. Sexual harassment in the workplace is especially atrocious and widespread form of discrimination against women that completely impedes their economic empowerment and autonomy. Forced pregnancy tests as a pre-condition for employment are another form of discrimination that reduce a woman's ability to demand a living wage and break out of poverty. Women working in the garments, agricultural, and light manufacturing industries face overwhelming barriers as they attempt to earn a living wage to support themselves and their families.

For years, ILRF's Rights for Working Women campaign has worked to end the abuses women face in the workplace.  For example, our Fairness in Flowers campaign focuses on eliminating sexual harassment, forced pregnancy tests, poor occupational health conditions and violations of trade union rights in the production of cut flowers in Ecuador and Colombia.  You can learn more about the abuses women face in this industry by reading this report by ILRF and USLEAP.  You can find out how to support women workers in the flower industry by reading our Fairness in Flowers Campaign Toolkit.  ILRF also has a long history of working with grassroots organizations to document and fight sexual harassment against women in the workplace globally.  You can view some of our reports on sexual harassment from Mexico to Kenya to Thailand online here.

Another sector of the economy that includes a large number of exploited women workers is domestic work.  Conditions in this sector are often highly abusive and dangerous and many countries exempt domestic workers from labor rights protections.  This year, the International Labor Organization (ILO) is making decent work for domestic workers a major focus.  The international labor movement, including major international labor confederations like the IUF, are contributing feedback to the process of drafting a potential international convention to protect domestic workers.  A new report by the International Trade Union Confederation examines the issue of how inequality in child care and household work affects women's role in the labor market.

One of the tools that can be used to reverse discrimination against women in the workplace -- including in the US -- is ILO Convention 111 which specifically addresses discrimination issues.  You can find out more about Convention 111 and how it connects to rights for women on the blog here.

It's often most powerful to hear the voices of working women themselves.  You can read stories from working women globally about their struggles on ILRF's website here.

On this International Women's Day, and everyday, we reiterate our support to women workers as they dare to stand up for their rights, and are an inspiration for women and men everywhere who organize against workplace discrimination.

By Michelle Petrotta, Program Officer, International Labor Rights Forum As the world celebrates the 100th International Women's Day, the United Nations Commission on Women is in New York, reviewing progress of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for... Labor Rights

Maggie Smith, Sweatfree DC Coordinator, International Labor Rights Forum Join the ILRF Sweatfree DC campaign, SEIU Local 32BJ, and others in supporting responsible contracting with strong labor standards in the District NOW! This is your money, have your voice be... Labor Rights

Maggie Smith, Sweatfree DC Coordinator, International Labor Rights Forum

Join the ILRF Sweatfree DC campaign, SEIU Local 32BJ, and others in supporting responsible contracting with strong labor standards in the District NOW! 

This is your money, have your voice be heard!  On MARCH 23 at 10:30am a public hearing will be held to discuss procurement reform in DC.  This is our chance to make the case for labor standards and enforcement in all contracts with DC.  We must tell DC government that we DO NOT WANT OUR TAX DOLLARS SUPPORTING COMPANIES THAT VIOLATE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LABOR STANDARDS!  Show your support by attending the hearing or testifying on behalf of responsible contracting (written testimony, in lieu of spoken, is also encouraged)!

SIGN UP TO ATTEND THE HEARING AT www.unionvoice.org/laborrights/events/SweatfreeDC_Hearing/details.tcl.

The International Labor Rights Forum launched the Sweatfree DC Campaign on Tax Day 2009.  The campaign is calling on Mayor Fenty and our local elected officials to join the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium and pass a strong sweatfree purchasing policy to end tax dollar support for sweatshops.  A sweatfree purchasing policy would stipulate that apparel purchased by the district could not be produced using substandard labor practices, such as sweatshop labor.  The Consortium would help to enforce the policy and monitor factories here in the U.S. and abroad.

Last year, DC city government began efforts to reform the current system used to purchase goods and services for the District, known more formally as the system of contracting and procurement.  Every year the city spends millions, sometimes billions, of dollars (primarily tax payer dollars) to purchase, or procure, the goods and services needed to keep the city up and running.   Early this year, Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced the “Omnibus Procurement Reform Amendment Act of 2010” and shortly after the administration introduced its own bill known as the “Procurement Reform Act of 2010”.  Both bills focus on improving efficiency and oversight in the Districts contracting system. 

However, NEITHER OF THE PROPOSED BILLS ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTING with regards to labor standards.  Under the current as well as the proposed systems, a contractor’s or vendor’s labor record is not considered when deciding whether to purchase their goods or services.  This means that, as a DC resident, YOUR TAXES ARE BEING USED TO SUPPORT VENDORS AND CONTRACTORS WITH KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PAST LABOR VIOLATIONS.  Neither violations that occur outside the district nor those that occur within it are taken into consideration.  In this time of economic uncertainty we must ensure that the thousands of contracted employees that allow our city to function smoothly and those that make the goods we use every day can work with dignity and security.  We must level the playing field, so that those businesses that play by the rules can compete with the larger companies that are competing in the race to the bottom.

DC spends nearly $6 million each year on apparel and footwear alone, such as police uniforms and other gear.  Because DC doesn’t have specific requirements on upholding strong labor standards, there is little information available on what is going on in the factories producing products for DC.  We have learned that some of the largest contractors are buying from Blauer and other companies known for having sweatshops.  Some of these factories fail to pay workers even a minimum wage and lie to inspectors who come to audit the factory.

Another painful example of the District’s failure to choose more responsible contractors is the case of the contract held by Hawk One Security for DC Public Schools.  Hawk One abruptly ended its services to the District in October of 2009 when the company suddenly went bankrupt and closed its doors.  This left close to 1000 Hawk One employees out of work and left the DC school system and other government buildings with no security personnel.  In addition to loosing their jobs, the former Hawk One employees were not paid for their last weeks of work and did not receive money owed to them for sick leave and vacation.  HAWK ONE EMPLOYEES HAVE STILL NOT BEEN COMPENSATED FOR THOSE LAST WEEKS OF WORK, many employees are owed thousands of dollars in compensation.  Just as we do not want our tax dollars supporting sweatshop labor, we do not want our money going to irresponsible service contractors who do not have DC workers’ interests at heart.

The Sweatfree DC campaign is working to encourage Mary Cheh, DC Council member and Chair of the Government Operations and Environment Committee, to accept an amendment that would move DC to adopt a sweatfree policy and join the SweatFree Purchasing Consortium.  SEIU Local 32BJ is working to add an amendment to the proposed procurement reform legislation that would protect service contract employees by requiring that contracted labor be bonded.  This essentially would serve as an insurance policy for workers so that if a company cannot make payroll, workers will still get paid.  It would also require that a system be put in place to take into consideration a company’s past labor records before a contract is awarded. 

We applaud DC government for beginning the process of procurement reform, but it is imperative that we make this reform complete, and that workers’ rights are considered before millions of tax payer dollars are signed away to irresponsible companies!

For more information on Sweatfree DC and to endorse the campaign visit ILRF’s Sweatfree DC website: http://laborrights.org/sweatfree-dc

By Bjorn Claeson, Director of SweatFree Communities How many more workers will have to pay with their lives to absorb the terrible cost of apparel companies’ low-road, bottom-price business model? Close to 10 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2010, twenty-one... Labor Rights

Dingxiaozi Ding, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum
 
On the very first day of my internship at ILRF, I attended this discussion panel on labor movements in Egypt. Being Chinese, I didn’t know much of what was going on in Egypt so this event provided an opportunity for me to learn from the experts.  It was co-organized by the Solidarity Center and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Dr. Joel Beinin as the speaker discussed the main findings of the Solidarity Center report The Struggle for Workers for Workers Rights in Egypt (The report is available online). He was joined by Kamal Abbas, who is an Egyptian labor rights activist, and Sarah Leah Whitson, the director Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa divisions.

This event was a useful way to learn about some key issues that are related to Egypt but that also connect to some other broader issues that all workers face. 

Dr. Joel Beinin analyzed the current situation of labor rights movements in Egypt, and highlighted its roots and the implication on Egyptian society and future labor rights activities. Since 2004, Egypt has witnessed a dramatic increase in labor protests, close to 1600 incidences.

It resulted from the combined effects of authoritarian control and the liberalization policy. Despite its republic appearance, Egypt is an authoritarian state. The government exerts very restrictive control over civil society. Even though Egypt ratified core ILO conventions decades ago as listed in the following table, words have not been transformed into action. For instance, the government continues to suppress workers’ rights such as freedom of association and the right to organize and collective bargain. All NGOs are required to register with the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Permission from the Ministry of the Interior is required for any public meetings, and rarely given. Security forces routinely suppressed demonstrations and strikes. Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) is the only legal national trade union in Egypt. But it is very closely linked to the government, and can be seen as the arm of the state, rather than an independent trade union that speaks for workers. According to Egyptian law, all local trade unions must be recognized and affiliated with ETUF.

Ratification of core ILO Conventions by Egypt

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining   

• C87    Ratified on  11/06/1957
• C98    Ratified on 07/03/1954

Abolition of Child Labor   

• C138    Ratified on 01/23/1996
• C182    Ratified on 05/06/2002

Elimination of Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation   

• C100    Ratified on 07/26/1960
• C111    Ratified on 05/10/1960

Since 1970s when the Egyptian government started its liberalization program, Egypt has experienced rapid economic growth. However, the prosperity has not been equally shared by the whole society, but has deepened the gap between the rich and the poor tremendously. Following the instruction of IMF and the World Bank, Egyptian government reduced government expenditure on health, education, pension and unemployment benefits, which steadily impoverished Egyptian people. In order to attract foreign investment, the government did not loosen its control over civil society, and advertised Egypt as a country with cheap labor and a weak trade union.

Last year was truly a turning point when the Egypt’s first independent union-- Real Estate Tax Authority Union (RETA) --was established. This success represents the shifting concern of workers from merely economic terms to political realms. It also sent a positive signal to the society that pouring out into the street and demanding labor rights is an effective way.

The panel reminds me of the experience in Asia. Countries like China, Vietnam, India and Thailand, almost every country that went from a socialist economy to a liberal market economy had similar experiences. Workers are always the ones that suffered most from the pain of economic liberalization. Please allow me ask a stupid question: is liberalization the only way to prosperity? Is it possible to liberalize and develop economy on the one hand, and avoid the pains workers suffered on the other hand?

Dingxiaozi Ding, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum On the very first day of my internship at ILRF, I attended this discussion panel on labor movements in Egypt. Being Chinese, I didn’t know much of what was going on in Egypt... Labor Rights

Tim Newman, Campaigns Director, International Labor Rights Forum Earlier this week, Godiva achieved a major marketing coup. Oprah Winfrey, the so-called Queen of All Media, re-designed the set of her popular show for the day using thousands of Godiva chocolate... Labor Rights

Tim Newman, Campaigns Director, International Labor Rights Forum

Earlier this week, Godiva achieved a major marketing coup.  Oprah Winfrey, the so-called Queen of All Media, re-designed the set of her popular show for the day using thousands of Godiva chocolate bars.  You can check out photographs of the set online here.  There's no doubt that Godiva must have dropped quite a bit of cash to get this level of brand exposure -- and to construct the set itself.

Unfortunately, the farmers and workers who harvest the cocoa that is the primary ingredient in Godiva products -- and likely in Oprah's special set -- do not share in the luxury promoted by Godiva.  As readers of this blog are well aware, abusive child labor, forced labor and trafficking are widespread in the cocoa industry.  Recently, the Free2Work.org gave Godiva a D- rating in terms of the company's efforts to address forced and child labor in its supply chain.  That makes Godiva one of the lowest rated of major chocolate companies.  

Other chocolate companies have gone much farther in ensuring transparency in their cocoa sourcing and supporting better conditions for cocoa farmers.  For example, Divine Chocolate is Fair Trade certified and is even co-owned by the democratic cooperative in Ghana that produces its cocoa, Kuapa Kokoo.  Equal Exchange sources cocoa beans from Fair Trade cooperatives in Latin America and its operations in the US are run by a worker-owned cooperative.  More and more big companies like Green & Black's and Ben & Jerry's are also making stronger commitments to support labor rights standards and fair prices for their cocoa suppliers.

In the past, Oprah has done a number of excellent shows exposing child labor abuses.  For example, years ago she featured a groundbreaking documentary about child labor globally called Stolen Childhoods on her show.  Oprah can continue to be a leader in protecting children's rights.  Hopefully in the future, she will conduct more due diligence on the child and forced labor policies of the companies promoted on the show and she could also explore the ongoing labor abuses in the cocoa industry -- as well as the inspiring stories of cocoa farmers like Kuapa Kokoo who are spreading positive change in the industry -- on a future show.

Maggie Smith, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum

Right now, in your country’s capitol Washington, DC, community members are fighting for the rights of workers around the world.  On tax day 2009 the Sweatfree DC campaign was launched.  Its goal: to make Washington, D.C. a sweatfree city.  What is a sweatfree city?  Well I’m glad you asked.

Those of you who are common readers of Labor is the Not a Commodity probably already know what sweatfree means as well as the different campaigns that aim to create a sweatfree world.  However for those of you who don’t visit us very often, I’ll give a crash course in what sweatfree means and how many of us aim to achieve it. 

First though before I go any further I want to remind you to do three things:

• Endorse Sweatfree DC!
  
• Send a letter to Mayor Fenty urging him to support a Sweatfree Policy! 
• Join our Sweatfree DC facebook group so we can keep you up to date on the campaign
  

The “sweat” part of sweatfree refers to sweatshops.  According to the U.S. General Accounting Office a sweatshop is “an employer that violates more than one federal or state labor law governing minimum wage and overtime, child labor, industrial homework, occupational safety and health, worker's compensation, or industry regulation” (Sweatfree Toolkit: “Answers to Common Questions”)  More generally though, the International Labor Rights Forum defines sweatshops as workplaces where basic worker rights are not respected.  However, these definitions fail to convey the tortuous nature of sweatshops which, for millions around the world, is a daily reality. 

For example, in the King’s Land factory located in Cambodia, which produces for Walmart among others, workers get paid roughly $50 a month, however the daily pay can fluctuate from $1.08 to $2.16 a day.  That is far below a living wage or even a minimum wage; that is a poverty wage.  At the Menderes Tekstil factory in Turkey, which produces for IKEA, Walmart, Carrefour, Horizante, Mothercare, Otto, Ibena, Target and Kohl's, four workers have been killed due to unsafe working conditions.  In one incident a worker died when he fell into the funnel of a coal boiler.  After watching their coworker perish in this terrible manner, management ordered that three workers climb into the funnel themselves to retrieve their slain colleague, and were grievously injured in the process.  (To learn more about the Menderes factory read ILRF’s Working for Scrooge report.)  These are just two examples out of perhaps millions of violations that occur throughout the world. 

The other half of the definition of sweatfree is obviously the word “free.”  This refers to ridding the world of sweatshops and allowing workers across the globe to work with dignity. 

Now that you know what sweatfree means you are probably wondering, how on earth would one go about achieving such a lofting goal?  Well, first of all, one would not.  Sweatfree campaigns require a concerted community effort.  While individuals can make their own effort to rid the world of sweatshops by buying from sweatfree companies (check out the 2010 Shop with a Conscience Consumer Guide to start making your effort today!), the small amount that an individual spends on clothes, even in a life time, does not amount to that much and therefore can only make so much of an impact.  That’s why most organized sweatfree campaigns focus on institutions that purchase apparel and footwear.  Community based sweatfree campaigns therefore mobilize around public procurement.  Public procurement is a fancy phrase which means governments buying stuff.  (To learn more about the link between public procurement and sweatshops read Sweatfree Communities’ ground breaking report Subsidizing Sweatshops and the follow up report Subsidizing Sweatshops II) 

Governments are the largest purchasers of stuff in the world!  In a single year alone governments spend millions, even billions, of dollars (your tax dollars!) buying stuff for the people that live within their jurisdiction.  So, if a group of individuals wants to really make an impact, and really gain some leverage over factories using sweatshop labor, they can have their city, school district, county, state, or country say they won’t buy from factories that have abusive labor standards, they will only purchase from morally sound suppliers.  But why would a city, school district, county, state, or country do that?  Because you demonstrated, through an organized campaign that that is what their constituents want and you successfully got your government to pass a sweatfree procurement policy and to join the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium (to learn how to run your own campaign read Sweatfree Communities’ Sweatfree Toolkit).  A Sweatfree Procurement Policy stipulates that the apparel (because the garment industry has notoriously bad labor standards) your government buys can not be made in sweatshops while the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium helps your government keep an eye on their suppliers and the factories they source from.

When entire governments decide to buy sweatfree they broaden the market for sweatfree goods.  Part of the reason that sweatshops persist is that the factories producing the goods believe they will loose their business if they spend more money to pay their workers which could result in a price increase.  However, when a government passes a Sweatfree Procurement Policy it demonstrates to these factories that in fact governments care just as much about the workers making their goods as the dollar amount attached to the goods they are buying.  (Also, paying workers twice as much as they are currently paid would raise the price of goods a minuscule amount.  Read The Dollars and $ense of the Sweatfree Consortium to learn more).  And if this sounds like an argument that no government would buy, think again.  There are already 188 Sweatfree Procurement Policy and resolutions adopted in the United States. 

It is this struggle that the city of D.C. is currently engaged in.  We have begun outreach and have a growing list of supporters from the D.C. community who back our efforts.  But there is no such thing as too much support.  If you support the ideals behind the logistics detailed above endorse the Sweatfree DC campaign by visiting this website.  These days there is no phrase more popular than “think globally, act locally” and there is truly no better way to do this than by supporting your local sweatfree effort. 

Maggie Smith, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum Right now, in your country’s capitol Washington, DC, community members are fighting for the rights of workers around the world. On tax day 2009 the Sweatfree DC campaign was launched. Its goal: to... Labor Rights

By Maggie Smith, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum

For many in the United States the jury is still out on whether free trade is a problem given the increasing concerns of the negative consequences.  The concepts of corporate accountability and protection for those who live, and often die, by the hands of corporations are beginning to gain traction, even within the U.S. Congress.

The case of Chevron Corporation in the Ecuadorean Amazon is a prime example. 

30,000 indigenous people living in the Ecuadorean rainforest have succesfully taken Chevron to court which, unto itself is an unprecedented victory, however having a guilty verdict levied against Chevron is not a sure thing.   As a Politico article explains, Chevron has gone to great lengths, launching massive public relation and media campaigns to try to portray and defend their side of the story.  Along with the PR and media efforts, it has launched a massive lobbying campaign which aims to prevent a ruling on the case.  One tactic it has employed on Capitol Hill is lobbying to have U.S. Trade policy, specifically the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences changed in regards to Ecuador.  The current system gives Ecuador preferential treatment for its oil exports under the 1991 Andean Trade Preference Act.  Chevron’s goal is essentially to compel the government of Ecuador to kill the case under pain of losing these preferences. 

 
Two camps have been formed within Congress, with senators and representatives choosing to side either with Chevron or with the indigenous people of Ecuador.  One representative championing the side of the people is Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA).  On November 17, 2009 Sánchez testified before the Trade Subcommittee hearing on trade preference systems.  In her official press release her message was clear: “As we re-examine our preference systems, I urge the Committee to explore options for holding nations accountable for protecting the rights of working families… We should shape preferences programs to promote labor rights and a clean environment...”  She went on to say, “Instead of allowing [the Amazon] case to come to a conclusion, embarking on clean-up efforts, or even seeking mediation, Chevron has engaged in a lobbying effort that looks like little more than extortion… if it can’t get the outcome it wants from the Ecuadorian court system, Chevron will use the U.S. government to deny trade benefits…”  She concluded her testimony by saying, “Trade preferences should be used as a hand up to provide needed help to the families of developing nations, not a paddle to punish governments who refuse to succumb to the demands of multi-billion dollar corporations.”

The history of this law suit is a sordid one.  According to the Amazon Watch’s ChevronToxico campaign page, between 1964 and 1990 Texaco, which was bought by Chevron in 2001, “dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic waste water, spilled roughly 17 million gallons of crude oil, and left hazardous waste in hundreds of open pits dug out of the forest floor.”  Texaco/Chevron’s total disregard for environmental standards has resulted in one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet.  However, labeling it as an environmental disaster is somewhat misleading.  While the earth has most certainly suffered, the indigenous peoples that live off the land are the one’s that truly suffer.  Cases of  mouth, stomach, and uterine cancer; birth defects; and spontaneous miscarriages have been common occurrences since the systematic polluting began.  Now, the battle continues to rage in court between Chevron the indigenous people that they tried to silence.  Click here to see a time line of the trial and to learn more about the struggle watch “Crude”  a documentary about the real price of oil.

This case clearly demonstrates the dangerous line we have allowed corporations to cross in the name of free trade.  For years individuals, non-profits, and NGOs have tried to open the public’s eye to these dangers with little success.  However, thanks to the backlash against the extreme measures taken by Chevron within the U.S. Congress these issues are beginning to receive the attention and critical eye they deserve, both within the public and private spheres.  The Chevron case is throwing into question many practices commonly used by multinational corporations that were previously viewed as “necessary evils” such as disregard for the environment and labor.  As Rep. Linda Sánchez stated in her press release, “We must abandon the naïve view that free trade alone is an economic development policy.”  We can no longer afford to let corporations regard their land and labor supply as expendable if we want sustainable economic development to take place.  The working poor are at the mercy of MNCs, therefore to level the playing field they must be free to protect themselves by forming unions and having a voice in their legal systems.  But this alone is not enough, that is why, as articulated by Rep. Sánchez, governments must advocate for working families.  One way to do this is to keep their interests’ in mind when creating new trade policies.

The Chevron case is not the only case of corporate abuse and disregard.  Many similar cases have been filled by non-profits on behalf of exploited people, often workers.  One non-profit that has championed the rights of workers is the International Rights Advocates.  They have filled case against many well known brand names such as Coca-Cola, Bridgestone-Firestone, and Nestlé for abuse of their workers.  Hopefully these cases, along with the current Chevron case, demonstrate that corporate accountability and advocacy for people will eventually become the norm.

You can help advocate for the environment and the rights of people and workers by taking action at these sites:

• Sign the petition calling on Mr. Watson, CEO of Chevron, to do the right thing in Ecuador!
• Send an e-mail to Bridgestone-Firestone asking them to play fair in Liberia!
• Tell Hershey, Mars, and Nestlé to Stop Using Child Labor!

By Maggie Smith, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum For many in the United States the jury is still out on whether free trade is a problem given the increasing concerns of the negative consequences. The concepts of corporate accountability and... Labor Rights

By Diana Carolina Vega Higuera, Bogotá Regional Intern, US Labor Education in the Americas Project Bogotá, Colombia- Colombians have a negative perception of trade unionism. Many even believe in the existence of collaboration between unions and guerrillas. This perception could... Labor Rights

By Diana Carolina Vega Higuera, Bogotá Regional Intern, US Labor Education in the Americas Project

Bogotá, Colombia- Colombians have a negative perception of trade unionism. Many even believe in the existence of collaboration between unions and guerrillas.

This perception could be attributed to simple ignorance about the serious human rights crisis in the country, labor rights and their violations. However, media also plays a key role in the construction of public opinion through the transmission of government statements and certain events.

For example, persecution and violence besiege unions, attempting to silence them. But, in this context, the media does not describe reality, so that worsens the situation because this does not help to dissolve the enormous dark cloud hanging over it: the impunity that currently marks the union activity in Colombia.
Commonly, the media offers propaganda that blames unions for corporate bankruptcies, or associates them, without basis, with dark forces. In September 2008, when almost ten thousand sugar cane cutters went on strike asking for better working conditions, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, without evidence, said that the FARC guerrilla infiltrated the sugar cane strike (in Spanish). These kinds of official statements are extremely irresponsible and dangerous, because they not only undermine the credibility of legitimate union struggles but also lead to justify -albeit indirectly- union violence.

Nevertheless, there has been damage done to the labor movement because of the alleged and painful links (in Spanish) between many of its members with illegally armed organizations. In 2007, the media published a story about the presence of Colombian trade unionists in a Quito Forum (in Spanish), which provided support to FARC and ELN. However, this does not justify generalized and irresponsible statements, because these cases are only exceptions, whose magnitudes are expanded when the media expose it, consecrating the impunity. In this sense, the media should be sources of exposure and condemnation rather than reproducing mechanisms of indifference, and therefore injustice.

Otherwise, the media does not show, for example, that both human rights defenders’ groups and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have denied the collaboration between unions and guerrillas, and have concluded that in Colombia, trade unionists are killed not because they are tied to any illegal organization, but by just being what they are. They also fail to mention that in the last two decades in Colombia more than 2,000 trade unionists have been murdered, and 138 have been subjected to forced disappearance.  In more than 90 per cent of cases, those responsible have not been brought to justice. Likewise, little has been said about the Amnesty International report that showed the employment of a coordinated military-paramilitary strategy, which aims to undermine the unionists’ work, both through their physical elimination, as well as trying to discredit the legitimacy of trade union activities; and that the guerrillas have also been responsible for killings of trade unionists.

In sum, we are really facing a bleak and disturbing picture that Colombians do not hear about, because it seems to be that negative news about trade unionism sells more than positives news.

By Lupita Aguila, Program Coordinator, US Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP)

This February 14th, while the majority of my girlfriends will be out with their significant others, my good friend Judit and I will be having dinner for two at a hip and trendy restaurant located in downtown Chicago.  A few days ago, Judit wrote me a nice Facebook comment that said, "I just want to know if you prefer roses or chocolates…?"

Millions of U.S. consumers will be asking themselves that very same question in the next few days.  Luckily for Judit, she has a friend who can tell her a thing or two about the labor rights violations and exploitation of workers on the flower plantations of Colombia and in the cocoa industry of West Africa. 

If your sweetheart is unfortunately allergic to chocolate like I am (what a drag) or she or he simply prefers flowers, here are a few things you should keep in mind as you are preparing to buy your loved one a special bouquet this Valentine’s Day:

Colombia is the biggest exporter of flowers to the United States.  According to the association of Colombian flower exporters, Asocolflores, about 80% of the flowers currently imported to the U.S. are from Colombia. Over the last few months, nearly 200,000 Colombian flower workers have been working 12-16 hour days to meet demands, picking on average 350 flowers per hour.       

While the flower industry does provide many rural people in Colombia with jobs (over 100,000 directly, about 95,000 indirectly), it is also an industry that makes it nearly impossible for workers to organize for better working conditions.  According to recent figures from flower worker unions on the ground, only a little less than 500 flower workers currently belong to a union.  The organization of independent flower unions, Untraflores, started 2009 with seven independent unions encompassing about 450 workers and finished the year with only four unions still actively representing workers. 

The Colombian flower industry has undoubtedly been affected by the economic crisis.  However, flower plantation owners have seemingly found new ways to take advantage of the economic crisis to exploit their workers and then some.  Out of the three plantations that closed in 2009 where Untraflores’ unions had worker representation, all three owners claimed bankruptcy and/or economic hardship and all three owners refused to pay workers their back wages and their rightfully due severance pay. 

Flower workers took to the streets in protest and in September almost 400 workers organized a sit-in and took the plantation for a month! In that case, the company filed for bankruptcy and used that as their excuse not to pay workers, but Untraflores, with the use of Colombian law, was able to acquire some of the income from the sale of the machinery and land to pay workers the majority of what they were owed.

It was a bittersweet victory for the flower workers of Untraflores who fought to the very end defending their rights not only as workers, but also as human beings, yet they ultimately lost their job with the plantation closing. 

Their struggle is far from being over.  Aside from the long workdays and impossible quotas, flower workers are exposed to high levels of toxic pesticides and fungicides.  Pesticides are sometimes sprayed while workers are on the job, directly on to their bodies.  Women flower workers, who make up about 66% of the workforce, have higher rates of birth defects, miscarriage, and sterilization. 

Colombian flower workers are in no way asking for a boycott of Colombian flowers.  Their jobs rely on U.S. consumers like you.  They just want you to be a responsible and socially conscious consumer and support their cause for better treatment and working conditions.  So while flower workers in Colombia are delicately cutting your flowers and making $8.25 a day, make sure you and your sweetie show your appreciation when you’re purchasing that $19.99 bouquet of flowers (with a free vase!).

What about Fair Trade and other certified flowers?
In some stores, including Whole Foods and Costco, you may find flowers certified as socially and environmentally-responsible by Veriflora, Rainforest Alliance, or Fair Trade (Transfair USA).  Unfortunately, flower worker unions in Colombia report that there are problems with some of the flower growers in Colombia who have been certified for all these labels.  Colombian flower worker unions therefore say that certification by these groups does not at this point assure better respect for labor rights in the production of flowers than from other companies. Groups like USLEAP are working with certification groups to address workers concerns. Check out USLEAP’s Views on Fair Trade, other certification programs, and consumer power.

This Valentine's Day in an effort to continue supporting flower workers in Colombia, USLEAP has designed four beautiful Valentine's Day ecards, each featuring stories of struggle and victories and a photo of Colombian flower workers. 

So if you are still debating about what to get your loved one this weekend, how about you help flower workers build a movement that will provide a just and fair income to feed their family, a safe working environment that will improve their working conditions, and the right to organize without fear of repression. 

P.S. In Colombia and in many other countries, February 14th is celebrated as the International Day of the Flower Worker! Hooray!

By Lupita Aguila, Program Coordinator, US Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP) This February 14th, while the majority of my girlfriends will be out with their significant others, my good friend Judit and I will be having dinner for... Labor Rights

Tim Newman, Campaigns Director, International Labor Rights Forum All across the US, people will be spending millions of dollars this week on chocolate for their sweethearts for Valentine's Day. But as readers of this blog know, child labor, forced labor... Labor Rights