Labor is Not a Commodity

More Controversy Surrounding Uzbek Cotton

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

The controversy around widespread child labor on cotton farms in Uzbekistan continues to grow (an issue we have blogged about before).  Last weekend, Swedish Television (SVT) aired a new program investigating child labor in Uzbekistan which linked H&M and Marimekko to an Estonian textile factory, Krenholm, which processes cotton from Uzbekistan.  Following the report, Marimekko announced that it would stop buying cotton products from Krenholm.

Most recently, Krenholm has claimed to have stopped buying cotton from Uzbekistan in response to the recent exposure.  Reports say that Krenholm has asked all of its international suppliers to provide the company with a certificate guaranteeing that no child labor was used in the production of their cotton.  Martti Haarajoki, CEO of Krenholm, said, "This problem applies to the entire cotton industry. In addition to Uzbekistan, child labour may be used in a number of other countries."

Especially as the holiday gift buying season kicks into high gear, it is important for consumers to be aware of the labor conditions under which their products are made.  This latest controversy highlights the ongoing use of child labor and it is important for people to take action to remind corporations that we will not support abuses like this.

Keep reading to see a video report from the BBC on cotton in Uzbekistan!

Which Companies are Naughty vs. Nice?

Liana Foxvog, National Organizer, SweatFree Communities

The most common questions that I get as an anti-sweatshop activist are: Where can I buy sweatfree? Which companies should I avoid?

This is the list that I point people to while emphasizing that the way that we can really have an effect is by joining active campaigns and by sending a strong public message to companies that violate labor rights.

For this year's holiday shopping season release, we've created a new list to accompany the Shop with a Conscience Consumer Guide. It's the Sweatshop Hall of Shame. So, take a few minutes to browse the Sweatshop Hall of Shame and take the suggested action steps. And if you're looking for Christmas gifts, don't forget to check out our list of sweatfree retailers.

Check out the Guide HERE: http://www.sweatfree.org/shopping

Keep reading to see the Sweatshop Hall of Shame list.

Turnabout is Fair Trade for Christmas Catalogs

Tereza Coraggio, ILRF Supporter

For those who see the people behind the products, Black Friday is aptly named, and not for the "in the black" of retail sales. The chocolate holidays – Halloween, Valentine's, Easter - are occasion enough for mourning, but Black Friday ushers in a season of darkness. Every year, I'm caught between loving the festivity, the excitement of the kids, and the warm generosity of family and community, and feeling a terrible sadness over the invisible workers, their lives squandered in making tokens of our affection. Although my kids no longer think elves supply the Disney channel, few know the full reality. This year, I decided to do something constructive with my conflict. I decided to turn the tables.

Keep reading to find out about Tereza's project!

The Price of Sugar

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Are you looking for something interesting to do this weekend?  If you are in the DC area, the new documentary, The Price of Sugar, opens TONIGHT at the E Street Cinema and will play for one week.  If you live elsewhere, check out The Price of Sugar website to find out if the film is being screened near you.

Staff from the International Labor Rights Forum will be on hand at the 7:50PM screening TONIGHT (Nov. 16th) to lead a discussion after the film about labor rights in the sugar industry.  Keep reading to find out more about this topic and the great film!

Putting a Lid on Big Boxes

Laura Karr, Campaigns Intern, International Labor Rights Forum

SIGN UP FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST SUPERMARKETS AND BIG BOX RETAILERS ON NOVEMBER 17^TH!

This Saturday, activist groups, community organizations and concerned individuals around the world will raise a collective voice against the destructive policies of chain supermarkets and big box retailers. This International Day of Action is bringing together groups fromArgentina to Belgium and issue areas from environmental protection to the continued viability of local economies in order to take on a single common enemy: Chains, big box stores and the destructive effects that they leave in their wake.

NFL's Foul Play

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

SIGN UP TO DELIVER A LETTER TO YOUR LOCAL FIRESTONE COMPLETE AUTO CARE STORE THIS SATURDAY (NOV. 10TH)!

The National Football League (NFL) and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire recently signed a multi-year integrated marketing partnership, making Bridgestone/Firestone the official tire of the NFL.  The partnership was launched on October 28th at the Bridgestone International Series NFL game played at London's Wembley Stadium.  Today, it was announced that Bridgestone would be the sponsor of the NFL SuperBowl halftime shows for 2008 and 2009.

But why would the NFL wanted to be associated with the Worst Global Corporation which has been responsible for the use of child labor, abuse of workers' rights and the destruction of the environment in Liberia?

The Hidden Costs of Free Trade

Adrian Boutureira, leader of the Global Economic Justice Initiative, United for a Fair Economy

PERU-FTA VOTE EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY!  TAKE ACTION:

United for a Fair Economy

Global Trade Watch E-mail Action

We have already seen the devastating effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement in Massachusetts. According to conservative estimates, more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last decade alone. Nationally, at least 3 million jobs have been sent offshore, and the wage gap continues to expand.

Our trading partners have suffered, too - with huge increases in inequality and massive displacement. For example, at least 1.3 million Mexican farmers have lost their livelihood under NAFTA. As a result, the number of annual immigrants from Mexico to the United States surged from 332,000 in 1993, the year before NAFTA went into effect, to 530,000 in 2000 - a 60 percent increase.

Despite the unsatisfactory record of NAFTA as a "free trade" model, the neoliberal economic policy has continued its march forward in the same direction. This week, the Democratic-led Congress will have its first vote on the Bush administration's latest NAFTA-like expansion, the US-Peru bilateral free trade agreement.

The Onion Gets it Right?

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

In light of the recent news surrounding GAP's use of a supplier in India using forced child labor, we thought it would be fitting to revisit one of our posts from May.  Check out this video from The Onion titled "Gap Unveils New 'For Kids By Kids' Clothing Line."  This time, the popular parody news site isn't too far off from reality.

Gap Unveils New 'For Kids By Kids' Clothing Line

Of course for many anti-sweatshop activists, the news about GAP is just another example of the structural issues with the garment industry.  Keep reading for more on this topic.

Kids in Cotton Fields

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

BBC's Newsnight recently did an investigation of child labor in the cotton industry in Uzbekistan.  The disturbing report shows how widespread labor rights abuses occur on farms throughout this major cotton producing country and end up in garments purchased by consumers around the world.  Check out this important report here!

390,000 Chinese workers die per year of occupational illnesses

Liana Foxvog, National Organizer, SweatFree Communities

At a labor rights conference in Hong Kong coinciding with the World Trade Organization Ministerial of December 2005, I met a man whose face and skin had a severe rash-like irritation from working at a factory in China making jewelry for export. This man suffered from silicosis, an occupational lung disease caused by breathing dust containing crystalline silica particles, a basic component of sand and granite.

There is no cure for silicosis.

Reading Salt Lake Tribune's recent investigative report about the health hazards that workers face in China's factories, I was deeply struck by how unfathomably vast the problem is.