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Dole Foods Recent Growth Marred by Allegations of Violence and Intimidation

October 22, 2009

Recently, Chiquita Brand International and its executives agreed to a plea deal with the US Department of Justice after coming forward to admit that it had funded organization accused of killing trade union leaders. Chiquita was able to escape any serious criminal liability by agreeing to pay a $25 million fine. 

How much should you value a corporation’s respect for freedom of speech?

October 22, 2009

According to Dole, a reporter for a local news magazine in Mindanao, Periodico Banat, wrote an article about a day-long prayer rally by Amado Kadena-KMU, the Kilusang Mayo Uno -affiliated union formed by Dole’s roughly 4500 rank-and-file full-time workers in Polomolok. At the rally, workers gathered to give public speeches to support their on-going contract negotiations with Dole management. The workers and Dole had been locked contentious negotiations where the side were far apart.

Dole Goes to the NY Stock Exchange but will This Mean Anything for Workers?

October 19, 2009

Many workers who produce for Dole are paid poverty-level wages, exposed to hazardous chemicals and obligated to work overtime hours without proper compensation. Dole also has been pushing workers out of full-time employment, which carries with it some measure of financial security, and into irregular contract work.

Demonstrating against Child Labor in Uzbekistan’s Cotton Fields

October 14, 2009

After marching, representatives from several of the groups participating in the demonstration gave speeches.  ILRF’s Executive Director Bama Athreya, George Washington University student Amanda Formica affiliated with United Students for Fair Trade, Stan Gacek of the AFL-CIO, Sally Greenburg of the National Consumers LeagueIMG00256

Khalid Mahmood Speaks Out on Labor Unions in Pakistan

October 14, 2009

The Labor Education Foundation (LEF) was established in 1993 with a vision of “empowering the working class to protect its social, economic and political rights.” It also works to promote democratic norms, peaceful relations between Pakistan and India, and literacy among youth and trade union members. It helps to establish and finance new trade unions, and to nationalize current unions. There are 8,000 registered unions, but only three have nationwide representation. The majority are factory based, localized, and divided. The LEF works to unify the scattered unions and nationalize their collective voice. 

How to be a Socially Responsible Shopper

October 8, 2009

The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) works to protect the rights of workers throughout the world and you can help us in our cause by supporting companies that treat workers fairly. Below are some suggestions to help you find out what companies produce goods in accordance with international fair labor standards. These standards include things such as ensuring workers are treated with respect and dignity, work under healthy and safe conditions, and earn wages and benefits sufficient to support the basic needs of their families.

Asian Floor Wage Campaign Launches on World Day for Decent Work

October 7, 2009

The central Launch for the AFW campaign took place in New Delhi, India.  In addition to the central launch in New Delhi, other launch events were held in other parts of India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and across Europe and North America.   One of the greatest parts of the AFW Campaign is the creativity which is already quite visible.  A comic book has been created, posters have been hung, even

Stolen Wages and the Global Apparel Industry

October 6, 2009

An impressive new report sheds
more light on this crisis. Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers: Violations
of Employment and Labor Laws in America’s Cities,
conducted by a coalition of labor research groups, has documented widespread
wage and hour violations in a number of low wage industries in New York City,
Los Angeles and Chicago. Based on a 2008
survey of 4,387 low-wage workers, the report finds that “many employment
and labor laws are regularly and systematically violated, impacting a
significant part of the low-wage labor force in the nation’s largest cities.” Some of the major findings include:

New DOL Report Lists Products Made Using Child or Forced Labor

October 1, 2009

On the same day that the Department of Labor went public with their new report, major chocolate and candy companies, who are members of the National Confectioners Association, congregated in Washington D.C in order to push their legislative agenda. Despite that 70% of the world’s cocoa is produced in West Africa, where child labor and slavery are rampant, little has been done by major chocolate corporations to end these abuses. Since 2001 ILRF has urged the chocolate industry to take responsibility for child labor in their chains of production, yet companies continue to purchase and reap profits from child exploitative cocoa.

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