Labor is Not a Commodity

Immigrant Labor in an Economy in Crisis

By Sarah Farr, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum

What happens to the implicit work hierarchy in an economic downturn?  Jonathan Browning and Screaming Frog Productions answered with this amusing yet insightful video.

While the video certainly draws laughs, it also points to some important social structures that are currently being revisited in this new economic environment.  Namely, it asks the viewer to think about the security of her or his own job and about the reality faced by millions of immigrant workers on a daily basis.

USTR's Kirk Commits to Labor Enforcement in Trade

By Eva Seidelman, Program Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

On July 16, United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced a more proactive strategy to enforcing labor provisions in existing free trade agreements. View the USTR plan for labor rights enforcement here. He makes particular reference to enforcing protections for temporary and subcontracted workers in Peru where the U.S. has just begun to implement an Free Trade Agreement.

The marginalization of contract workers has become a global problem, also in countries where Free Trade Agreements are pending such as South Korea. Read yesterday's front page New York Times article on the issue.

The USTR has outlined how it will monitor compliance by FTA countries with their labor obligations in trade agreements through a policy of engagement "to resolve labor issues through dialogue, technical cooperation, and Labor Chapter consultations and dispute settlement, as necessary." We have yet to see what that will practically mean for workers. ILRF's Executive Director,Bama Athreya, elaborates on the importance of this initiative in an article here.  

Police and Management Brutality Against a Peaceful Strike

 Top photo courtesy of Yonhap News Agency, remaining photos courtesy of KCTU

by Yu-Lan Duggan, International Labor Rights Forum

People often describe union workers as thugs and thousands of dollars have been poured into media campaigns to instill the image of menacing men threatening to shut down companies in our minds.   However, as I look at these photos of Korean police using helicopters to drop tear gas mixed with paint thinners and men hired by the Ssangyong Motors company to shoot metal bolts at Korea union workers conducting a peaceful sit-in, I can not help but wonder who the real thugs are in this situation.

Honduran and International Labor Movement Fights Back Against Military Coup - Lend a Hand!

By Carol Hansen, Intern, USLEAP

Honduran unions are helping lead popular resistance to the June 28, 2009 coup when democratically- elected Honduran President Zelaya was dragged out of bed, abducted, and forced to fly to Costa Rica. The union movement immediately called a national strike, joined by, among others, Chiquita banana worker union members who gave up a day's pay and more to participate. Teachers unions, the largest in the country, continue on strike, shutting down the education system while thousands of workers have joined peaceful protests that have been met with teargas. Also, members of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) have refused to load or unload Honduran cargo ships in resistance to the coup.

While mediation by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has so far yielded little progress, the situation in Honduras continues to worsen with reports of hundreds of human rights violations and four political assassinations, including one trade unionist.  The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) stated in a July 14 press release: "since the coup there has been growing concern at the threat to trade union and popular leaders, and it appears there is a list of leaders who are threatened with detention and whose personal safety is at risk."

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Victory for Hartmarx Workers: Several thousand union workers won the struggle to save their jobs at the bankrupt Hartmarx Corporation

By Eric Dirnbach, Workers United

When manufacturing companies hit bankruptcy, often the plants are shut down and workers are thrown out of work.  But sometimes workers fight successfully to keep the plants open and save their jobs.  Recently, several thousand workers at Hartmarx waged a campaign to keep production going in North America, and took on the giant Wells Fargo in the process.

In January 2009, the Hartmarx Corporation, one of the nation’s largest suit manufacturers, filed for bankruptcy in Chicago where its headquarters and largest plant are based.  Hartmarx had fallen into financial problems over the last year due to the recession, and it had difficulty receiving ongoing financing from its lenders.  The company employed over 3,500 workers in Illinois, New York, Indiana, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Ontario, and is perhaps best known these days for providing a number of custom-made suits for President Obama.

Transport Workers Show Global Solidarity in Honduras and Elsewhere

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Last week, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) announced a call to its 4.5 million members around the world to boycott ships flying the Honduran flag.  In issuing this call, the ITF joined many unions and labor federations around the world, including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), in speaking out against the recent coup in Honduras that has ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

The ITF had been working with member unions in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua to organize protests at their borders with Honduras in answer to a call for support from Honduran trade unionists.  Now, ITF members will be asked to refuse to load or unload Honduran cargo ships.

The Casualization of Work: A Global Pandemic?

By Sarah Farr, International Labor Rights Forum

The average number of hours worked by private sector, non-farm employees can be a window into the health of our economy and into the lives working people nation-wide.  New data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) points to a disturbing downward trend of average weekly hours worked in the U.S.  In fact, the annual figures for average weekly hours worked has been steadily declining since the BLS first started recording this data in 1964.  Workers in 1964 worked an average of 38.5 hours per week.  As of 2008 that number had dropped to 33.6.  What does this mean on a practical?  Well, assuming the average hourly private sector wage in 2008 is $18.08, a reduction of 5 hours per week means slightly over $90 lost per week.  Over a year that could calculate to almost $4,500.

 More frightening, however, is the fact that the decline in the average weekly hours for U.S. workers is more likely a reflection of the increasing number of workers employed part-time for economic reasons (“economic reasons” means that part-time employment is not a result of personal preference, temporary illness, holiday work, etc.).  The current number of workers employed part-time for economic reasons is hovering around 9 million—the highest since the BLS first started recording this data in 1955.

Solidarity with Workers in Niger

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

With global outcry focused on the threats to democracy in Honduras and Iran, a "slow-moving coup" occurring in Niger has gone under the radar for many.  While President Obama addressed the Parliament of Ghana last week and said that "we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments," he failed to speak out about the erosion of democracy in nearby Niger.

In late May of this year, a constitutional court in Niger rejected President Mamadou Tandja's request to hold a referendum on extending his presidency another term after his two term limit expires at the end of this year.  In the days following the ruling, President Tandja dissolved both the court as well as the Parliament of Niger and has also reportedly censored the press and arrested opposition leaders. 

Workers in Ghana and the US unite!

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

This past weekend, President Obama made his historic trip to Ghana.  While as far as we know, he did not visit the Kuapa Kokoo Fair Trade cocoa cooperative during his brief trip, he did tour the Cape Coast Castle (a major port during the Trans Atlantic slave trade) as well as a hospital in Accra to highlight maternal health issues.  In his remarks to the Ghanaian Parliament, President Obama encouraged Ghanaians to "take responsibility for your future," echoing comments he made in an interview with AllAfrica.com earlier in the week calling arguments about the role neo-colonialism and Western government's policies play in perpetuating problems in Africa "excuses."  Among other things, Obama also highlighted the importance of diversifying exports ("oil cannot simply become the new cocoa") and increasing trade and investment between the US and Africa in order to lift people out of poverty and create wealth. 

Absent from President Obama's speech to the Ghanaian Parliament and his interviews and statements related to the trip were any references to the continued role that US-based multinational corporations and international financial institutions play in contributing to poverty and human rights abuses.  Additionally, there was no mention of the critical role trade unions, cooperatives and other organizations of workers play in promoting development and holding governments, companies and international institutions accountable. 

Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission Highlights Firestone's Abuses

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

When Liberia finally emerged from years of civil war, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established to "promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation" and to investigate human rights violations that occurred.  Last week, the TRC released its final report which is available online here.  Throughout the report, the TRC mentions the role that Firestone has played historically in abusing human rights in Liberia and ultimately concludes that Firestone aided and abetted economic crimes.