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New York Farmworkers Rally for Equality

May 16, 2009

"That farmworkers are denied disability insurance, a weekly day of rest, overtime pay, and the right to bargain collectively is a moral outrage," said Assemblyman Sheldon Silver at a rally in front of the State Capitol.

"There are rights in our country and they should apply to farmworkers as well," said Kerry Kennedy.

Before marching to the Capitol, a couple hundred people gathered together for a service with stories from farmworkers, song, and a participatory bilingual litany, which included these lines:

We confess that as we go through each day, we hardly ever think about those who labor to grow and harvest our food.
God forgive us, we pray.

Transparency and Accountability is the Answer

May 15, 2009

I just returned from a tour with Amanda Camacho, a cut-flower worker and president of her union at Papagayo Farms in Colombia, who was touring the country to expose the abusive working conditions prevalent in the cut-flower industry. She participated on a panel organized by the ILRF and UFCW Local 1500 in New  York called "Farm to Grocery Store: Workers in Global Supply Chains Unite!" Workers from around the world, shared common stories of labor abuses and violations of the right to organize unions.

Amanda Camacho: Organized a Union to Defend Her Rights!

May 10, 2009

We started talking about forming a union because we thought we’d lose our jobs otherwise. The first union was called Sintrapapagayo. We signed a petition to get our union officially registered and brought it to the Ministry of Social Protection. The first registration was rejected because the company was corrupt and convinced the Ministry that we didn’t have all the requirements for registration. They also fired 4 of the main union leaders.

Mother's Day, World Fair Trade Day and a Nasty Industry

May 9, 2009

But some women—and men—are fighting back.  Since April 16, workers at PT Toshiba Consumer Products Indonesia have been on strike because the company refuses to recognize a collective labor agreement signed by the Federation of Indonesian Metalworkers and management.  The striking workers have been attacked by police and hired thugs.  Aghni Dhamayanti, vice president of the union, who recently visited Washington and had the chance to meet with ILRF staff, is calling for international support for the workers.  For more details, including how to write to Toshiba, visit the site of the International Metalworkers Federation here.

3 Pakistani Womens' Stories: Income doesn't cover basic costs

May 9, 2009

Yalda
My name is Yalda and I’m 32 years old. I’m married and have 4 children.
I am working in a factory in Sialkot where I stitch five soccer balls
per day and earn 200 Rupees per day ($2.50 USD). I get four days of
holiday a month and I earn approximately 5000 to 5500 Rupee ($62-68
USD) monthly. With this income survival is very difficult because I
have to pay the rent and other expenses such as general house hold
expenses, children’s school fees, utility bills, health treatment etc.
My two sons are elder and they go to school. There is a school fee of
300.00 Rupee per month for each child. I get concession for not paying
the full fee for one child because I can’t pay the fee for both. My two

Jolene, South African Mother: Long workdays, unsafe working conditions

May 8, 2009

My salary is far less than my monthly expenses and I struggle to
make ends meet. We get sick leave, and maternity leave – but we only
get 3 months leave for ‘maternity leave’. The kind of work we do is
tedious and strenuous. We’ve asked the farmers to reconsider our
salaries. That’s when they promise us that they will reconsider and
come back to us, but they never do. The women stuck in there jobs don’t
seem to mind or get too worried about it. There are 16 women that work
with me, and we work all year round. It’s unfortunate that we get such
little compensation for the amount of work done. We are constantly
threatened by the farmers who fire those that stand up against the

Colombian Flower Workers on Strike as Mother's Day Arrives

May 8, 2009

"I am here to raise awareness among U.S. consumers
and tell the true story behind the beautiful flowers that you buy your mother
on Mother's Day," stated Amanda. In conjunction with the tour, USLEAP has
also produced a new Toolkit
and booklet titled Gendered Injustice
as part of its Economic
Justice for Flower Workers Campaign. The toolkit and booklet provide tips

World Bank Changes Labor Indicator

May 7, 2009

In its statement, the World Bank recognized that "it is important
that government actions focus on the needs of the labor force and lower income
households as well as those designed to help businesses to survive and
grow." To this end, labor rankings in the 2010 Doing Business
report (to be launched in September 2009) will include "provisions for fixed
term workers and standards for severance payment, mandatory days
of rest and night work and holidays, and minimum wage levels." The
Bank plans to convene a working group of "representatives from the
ILO...trade unions, businesses, academics and legal experts" in order to

May Day, Swine Flu, and Ailing Workers Rights

May 6, 2009

In Mexico,
the government’s failure to contain the recent Swine Flu outbreak has "conveniently" resulted in the
cancellation of May Day for the first time in the country's history. A recent
article in Monthly Review explains that independent workers’ unions in Mexico are now locked in a struggle
with the Mexican government and their often corrupt unions who oppose rallies
and demonstrations. In the height of the economic crisis and drug wars, many
Mexican workers still suffer unpaid layoffs.

Elvira, Filipino Mother: Unfair workloads and resistance to union organizing

May 6, 2009

My salary does not cover my expenses. We are allowed maternity leave
from work as required by law. However, temporary workers will lose
their jobs if they fall pregnant. We are not treated with respect at
the workplace. The workload is not always fair. Men are always promoted
ahead of women. I am in the process of organizing a union but am met
with constant resistance and threats that management will close down
the factory. Since the global, economic crisis 108 workers have been
temporarily laid-off. However, I believe the company is using the
global economic crisis as an excuse. Tigerways was a top rank company

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