No More Bitter Chocolate this Valentine's Day

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Thursday February 12, 2009 · 12:34 PM PST

2009/02/12 · 12:34

Since 2001, major chocolate companies have been under scrutiny for chilad and trafficked labor in their cocoa supply chains. Through the Harkin-Engel Protocol, the chocolate companies were supposed to set up a certification program by July 2005 to show that the cocoa they use was not produced by the worst forms of child labor. When they failed to meet that deadline, they changed their commitment to cover only 50% of their cocoa by July 2008. Last July, the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) released a new report analyzing industry progress so far (or lack thereof). Sadly, many years have passed and millions of dollars have been spent, but consumers still cannot be assured that many of the major chocolate companies like Hershey, Mars and Nestle are not using cocoa made by child labor.

timILRF

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Thursday January 29, 2009 · 9:03 AM PST

2009/01/29 · 09:03

For the second year in a row, Bridgestone Firestone is the title sponsor of the NFL Super Bowl Halftime show. Close to 100 million football fans across the country will tune in to watch Bruce Springsteen perform and will see two new 30-second commercials (estimated to cost at least $3 million each) from the world's largest tire company.

Unfortunately, the exploitation workers face on Firestone's rubber plantation in Liberia will receive much less scrutiny. For well over 80 years, Firestone has operated the world's largest rubber plantation in Harbel, Liberia. Workers on the plantation have long faced incredibly poor living and working conditions. Firestone rubber tappers live in crowded shacks without running water, electricity or indoor latrines and are required to meet an unreasonably high production quota in order to receive their meager pay.

TAKE ACTION HERE and keep reading for more information.

timILRF

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Thursday December 11, 2008 · 11:09 AM PST

2008/12/11 · 11:09

In a truly historic victory, workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago (UE Local 1110) approved an agreement with the company and Bank of America that ended a 5 day occupation of the factory. 2-12-10-08republic-cag According to UE:

The settlement totals $1.75 million. It will provide the workers with:

* Eight weeks of pay they are owed under the federal WARN Act,
* Two months of continued health coverage and,
* Pay for all accrued and unused vacation.

JPMorgan Chase will provide $400,000 of the settlement, with the balance coming from Bank of America.

timILRF

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Wednesday December 10, 2008 · 9:31 AM PST

2008/12/10 · 09:31

Today is International Human Rights Day and human rights advocates around the world are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR states in Article 23:

1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

timILRF

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Tuesday November 11, 2008 · 1:20 PM PST

2008/11/11 · 13:20

With the financial crisis and faltering economy foremost on U.S. voters' minds, one of President-Elect Obama's first decisions will likely be who to appoint as Treasury Secretary. Already, Lawrence Summers' name as been circulating as a top candidate for the position. So who is Summers?

Larry Summers was the chief economist of the World Bank from 1991 to 1993, Treasury Secretary from 1999 to 2001 under Clinton and President of Harvard University from 2001 to 2006. In his positions at the World Bank and as Treasury Secretary, Summers promoted the deregulation policies which laid the groundwork for the current financial crisis.

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No More Bitter Chocolate this Valentine's Day

Super Bowl Halftime Show Sponsor Exploits Workers

Victory for Republic Windows and Doors Workers in Chicago (and the Lesson Learned)!

Working for Scrooge: 5 Worst Companies for Union Organizing

Who is Larry Summers?