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Demand the Release of Journalists Who Exposed Corruption in the Cocoa Industry

July 23, 2010

The three Ivorian journalists have been held in jail and could face any where from one to five years in prison as well as a fine for their work to expose corruption.  At least one of the journalists, Oula, is on hunger strike.  Other journalists and rights activists have been protesting all week in Ivory Coast.  Today, reporters marched through the capital of Abidjan and faced police repression and tear gas as they held a sit-in at the Justice Department.

“Riegel Deceits, Exploits, Steals and Lays Off Workers”: Temporary workers in the Colombian Cut-Flower Sector on Strike

July 22, 2010

According to the workers on strike, the workers at Riegel have not been paid their social security for the past 11 months, in spite of the amount for social security being deducted from their wages. Event though the company paid part of the wages owed in response to the first week of the strike, many other workers have not received any compensation, including the workers leading the resistance. Workers are also owed their family subsidies and were not given their uniforms and appropriate working attire during their time at Riegel. Magdalena Toscano has worked for two CTAs. Under a plastic man-made shack put up by the strikers, she tells me in her previous job she worked for five months and was never paid.

Do you really want to “Take Our Jobs”? A Farmworker Reality

July 19, 2010

Nonetheless, those not inclined to give undocumented workers legal residence have an opportunity to stop this. Citizens and residents interested in taking over an immigrant farm worker’s job are encouraged to apply at www.takeourjobs.org and will be guided by experienced farm workers on how to complete their new job successfully.  In addition, the UFW will have monthly updates on the progress of the campaign.

Big Step Forward for Sweatfree DC; DC Councilmember Mary Cheh Shows Support!

July 7, 2010

Over the past year, ILRF, SEIU 32BJ, LiUNA, Carpenters Union and many others have been working to get the DC City Council to adopt responsible contracting language as part of the procurement overhaul that is moving through the legislative process.  In particular there have been conversations focused on DC govt adopting a “sweatfree” procurement policy and joining the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium. This is vital because it ensures that all DC contracts and vendors, and subsequently workers who are paid with DC tax dollars, are to be done under fair labor conditions.

Ratification of the CEDAW Treaty: Pressure the Obama Administration to Uphold its Commitment to Women’s Rights

July 7, 2010

CEDAW will positively impact women’s economic conditions that result from gender discrimination. The treaty commits countries ‘to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women’.

Ratification not only sends a strong political message, but it also recognizes women’s right to have decent work and equal opportunities to access the job market. CEDAW not only addresses discrimination relating to women’s unemployment, the treaty aims to end sexual harassment and to close the income gap between men and women within the workplace.

Clothing Line Hopes to Show Garment Industry That Exploitation is Not the Norm

July 5, 2010

According to End Human Trafficking, “When the Argentinians and the Thais met at a conference in 2009, it was clear that their shared backgrounds and commitment to making clothing in a cooperative-driven, free and fair system. And so "No-Chains" clothing was founded. The model is pretty simple — no slavery will be used in the production of these garments. All garments will be made from locally-sourced materials, assembled by workers paid a fair wage, and the profits go to the ownership, the workers themselves.”

Free2Work Rates Soccer Ball Companies: Who Came Out on Top?

July 2, 2010

While I was reviewing the research, I began to realize that the only companies who actually had steadfast labor corporate responsibility action plans were the big players- adidas, Nike, New Balance and Puma. Why was this?

I recognize that these companies have bigger budgets for their CSR programs, but shouldn’t all brands, big and small, be concerned with how their supply chain is affecting others? Obliviously, from the data collected, not everyone cares, or even pretends to care. For a better understanding of the psyche of each company, I think that we need to look at why they received their particular grade:

No more money for asbestos: protestors call for an end to Canada’s deadly export

June 30, 2010

The latest development concerning the toxic mineral is that of the Québec government setting aside a $58 million subsidy to keep one of Canada’s last remaining asbestos mines stay in business. Jeffrey Mine, Inc., located in Asbestos, Québec (yes, that’s the city’s actual name), is currently under bankruptcy protection as it awaits the loan that would allow a new underground asbestos mine to be built and in turn, enable the exportation of nearly 200,000 tons of asbestos a year to developing countries for the next 25 years. The loan is expected to be approved by July 1.

Invisible Workers: The Domestic Workers' Struggle

June 29, 2010

Abuses of domestic workers’ labor rights are common. In the United States, for example, 93% of domestic workers are women, many who suffer from physical, verbal and sexual abuse. Because many domestic workers are not given permanent or contract work, they are unable to exercise their right to freedom of association and the benefits bargained for by trade unions through collective bargaining, such as a living wage, eight-hour workdays, and pensions among other benefits. The new draft instrument by the ILO, if ratified by countries, will change the way domestic work is understood within labor law.

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