December 2011
Feature
December 18 - International Migrants Day
Photo courtesy, David Bacon
"It is important to recall, particularly in these turbulent times, the fundamental role that migrants play in strengthening the global economy. Migrants contribute to economic growth and human development; they enrich societies through cultural diversity, knowledge and technology exchange; and they improve demographic balance in aging populations.
While for many, migration is a positive and empowering experience, many others endure human rights violations, xenophobia, and exploitation."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for International Migrants Day
On 18 December 1990, the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW), and ten years later, in 2000, the UN officially proclaimed December 18 as International Migrants Day. On 1 July 2003, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families finally entered into force, and by 1 October 2005, only 33 States had ratified it or acceded to it. Read the fact sheet...
Regrettably, the ICRMW is the slowest convention ever to enter into force, and despite the 33 signatories, not a single member state of the European Union, United States, or Canada - some of the largest receiving countries - has ratified this important international human rights instrument to safeguard the rights of migrant workers and their families.
Every year, human rights organizations have commemorated this day with events and calls to action. This year as in years past, December 18, a migrant rights organization, will continue with its Radio 1812 initiative , and we are happy to promote their amazing efforts to protect the rights of migrants worldwide. To find a radio station in your area, hear clips from last year’s program, or stream the program online, visit the Radio 1812 website.
This Sunday, December 18, don't forget to support this and other events promoting the rights of migrants.
Archive
Global Workers helps daughter of murdered international union organizer
Gilberto Soto, a union organizer in New Jersey of the Teamster’s Port Division, was carrying out a campaign to build a solidarity network between transportation unions and workers across much of the Americas when he was assassinated in November of 2004, outside his parents’ home in his native El Salvador. Gilberto organized thousands of truck drivers at ports from Newark to Boston, and it was suspected that his murder was part of a concerted effort to throttle union activity in El Salvador.
Following his murder, the union reached out to Soto’s family to provide them the benefits they were due. After years of unsuccessful efforts to find one of Soto’s daughters in Mexico, Soto’s former supervisor was ready to give up when he reached out to Global Workers for help. In collaboration with the Dimensión Pastoral de la Movilidad Humana (Pastoral Dimension of Human Mobility), Global Workers was able to locate Soto’s daughter within weeks to explain that she had benefits to collect and possibly other rights, such as U.S. citizenship. It was thanks to the work of Global Workers’ Staff Attorney, Griselda Vega, and the DPMH’s Catholic nun who tracked her down, that she finally allowed us to step in to make the crucial link back to the case in New Jersey. A year after Global Workers located Soto’s daughter, portable justice was served, and she received all the benefits she was owed.
Global Workers influences new H-2B Visa Program regulations
U.S. employers use the H-2B visa to bring 66,000 temporary non-agricultural foreign workers into U.S low wage industries every year. Over the years, many workers have suffered abuses, sometimes suffering such exploitative conditions that the U.S government has extended them protections as human trafficking victims. Global Workers has worked on many cases of abused and disposed H-2B temporary guest workers.
In an effort to curb these abuses, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently proposed changes to the administrative rules of the H-2B visa program. The proposed changes are to be lauded in many aspects, as they would guarantee that workers receive ¾ of the promised contract (to combat the practice of workers arriving to find the jobs ending much sooner than were promised or sometimes not existing at all). See the full proposed regulations …
Global Workers is particularly encouraged to see important changes proposed regarding transparency of the program— a central issue Global Workers has been pushing with the U.S. Government. For example, for the first time the DOL is asking U.S. employers to disclose the names of the agents they contract to recruit workers overseas. Currently workers have no way of determining if recruiters are offering legitimate H-2 jobs in the USA, or whether the ”job offer” is outright fraud, or the first step of a human trafficking scheme. Disclosure of recruiters, which should be extended to subcontracted recruiters as well, is a key step to ensure that workers are not exploited from the moment of recruitment. On a similar note, the DOL is considering asking employers to report on the numbers of H-2B workers that they actually employed. The DOL would use this information to address the practice of employers obtaining certification for more foreign worker positions than needed to replace injured or complaining foreign workers with other foreign workers. Defrauding the government about true labor need undermines the entire H-2B visa program, places foreign workers in positions of vulnerability, and deprives U.S. workers of access to these jobs.
Global Workers collaborated with the Low Wage Worker Network to submit comments on the H-2B regulations. Read the comments…
The final DOL rule is expected to be published this summer.
Global Workers critiques Mexican government on portable justice issues.
Global Workers, in collaboration with the American University, Washington College of Law, Immigrant Justice Clinic submitted a report to the UN Committee on Migrant Workers, critiquing Mexico’s track record on portable justice for migrant workers. The Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Countries that have signed onto the convention must submit a report every five years on the legislative, judicial, administrative and other measures they have taken to give effect to the provisions of the Convention, and then undergo review by The Committee. Mexico was up for review this April 2011. During the 14th Session that took place this April, the Committee considered the recommendations submitted by Global Workers and the IJC, which focus on two major issues that Mexico needs to address:
(1) The consequences of the lack of portable justice for Mexican migrant workers.
(2) The concerns surrounding the H-2 Visa Program administered by the U.S. government.
For example:
Global Workers recently learned of about 25 Mexican nationals in the state of Guanajuato that had been swindled by a “recruiter” who charged them $2000 pesos each to “process the visa application.” The workers never saw that “recruiter” again, were not reimbursed, nor given back their passports. Had they been provided with the pre-departure information required by Article 37, they would have known that these types of costs are to be borne by the employer and not by the employees.
Read the report submitted by Global Workers and IJC regarding Mexico’s Second Periodic Review.
Global Workers secures MacArthur Foundation project grant to conduct Foreign Temporary Worker Scoping Study
Global Workers has been increasingly concerned with conditions under which foreigners come to the U.S. to work on temporary visas. Some visas such as the H-2 program are fairly well understood, however, the J-1 visa, envisioned for “cultural exchanges” has been increasingly misused to bring in young foreigners to work in sometimes appalling conditions in low wage industries. With the support of the MacArthur Foundation’s Initiative on Global Migration and Human Mobility, Global Workers will launch an unprecedented one-year Foreign Temporary Worker Scoping Study to determine just how many workers are affected, which visas are utilized, understand how they work from the perspective of government agencies, employers and workers, and identify patterns of abuse. The project’s findings will then be summarized in a report for public dissemination. The goal is to educate advocates, policy makers, and the public on the reality of the foreign temporary worker program in the U.S., with the aim of shifting the terms of public debate with respect to this issue and promoting substantial shifts in public opinion. These shifts will make profound transformations in the framework more politically viable. Ashwini Sukthankar, a reknown international labor law expert, will be joining Global Workers to spearhead the study.
Catholic Priest in Mexico Under Attack for Aiding Migrants
Thousands of Central and South American immigrants passing through Mexico have been kidnapped, and sometimes even murdered. Father Alejandro Solalinde Guerra, Catholic priest and director of the Pastoral de Movilidad Humana Pacifico Sur del Episcopado Mexicano (Catholic Pastoral Care Centre for Migrants in Southwestern Mexico), has been under attack for dedicating his life to sheltering migrants from the criminal gangs who exploit and abuse them. On December 16, 2010, a group of allegedly 20-50 migrants was dragged off a train and disappeared. On December 22, another group of migrants was similarly captured.
In the aftermath, Father Solalinde reported that gunmen from two powerful gangs, the Zetas from Mexico and the Mara Salvatrucha from El Salvador and Central America, threatened him to give up the migrants that managed to escape to his shelter following the December 16 occurrence. Father Solalinde has already filed a report with the Office of Special Investigations on Organized Crime (SIEDO) in Mexico, holding state authorities and the gangs in Mexico directly responsible for the mass kidnappings. His public denouncement of Mexican officials’ treatment of irregular migrants, and his willingness to identify the members of the various crime organizations involved, have made him increasingly vulnerable to further attacks. He has since filed a petition for protection with the Attorney General’s Office in Mexico.
Despite his numerous reports and petition for protection, the Mexican government has been deplorably slow to react. As a result, Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action to put pressure on authorities to investigate the incident and provide Father Solalinde with adequate protection. Prior to this call to action, Amnesty International and Mexican actor and producer Gael García Bernal produced “Los Invisibles (The Invisibles)”, a series of short films that record the journey of hundreds of migrants from the border between Guatemala and Mexico on their way to the United States. Father Solalinde collaborated with the production and is featured prominently.
On February 16, 2011, upon the recommendation of University of Notre Dame's Prize for Distinguished Public Service in Latin America winner, Mr. Cuatémoc Cárdenas, the matching prize will be donated to Father Solalinde's Albergue de Migrantes "Hermanos en el Camino". Global Workers joins other distinguished leaders in congratulating Father Solalinde on this recent Kellog Institute prize. Read more...
December 18 - International Migrant Day
2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW). However, not a single member state of the European Union, United States, or Canada has ratified this important international human rights instrument. Learn more about why this is the slowest convention ever to enter into force.
"I urge the very many States that have yet to do so to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families... The irregular situation of many international migrants should not deprive them either of their humanity or their rights. Together, let us reaffirm the fundamental principle of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 'all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights'."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for International Migrants Day
18 December 2010
The impetus behind Global Worker’s mission is the belief that transnational migrant workers have the right to pursue justice no matter where they go. Since 2005, we have worked hard to combat worker exploitation by promoting portable justice for transnational migrants through our Global Workers Defender Network by empowering already existing organizations in the home countries to be resources to migrant workers. Global Workers is committed to continue, and expand upon, current work to ensure that returned migrants who have suffered exploitation in the country of employment are no longer forced to abandon their rights simply because they want to go home.
On December 18, please take a moment to remember migrants and their daily struggle for full dignity and support events happening around your area.
Global Workers joins Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and others to implement new Jornaleros-SAFE project
Global Workers is proud to announce a new joint project investigating recruitment abuses of H-2A agricultural guestworkers in Mexico. Catholic Relief Services (CRS)-Mexico established the project--Jornaleros-SAFE —and invited us, and three other partners the United Farm Workers (UFW), Human Mobility Commission of the Mexican Catholic Church (DPMH) , and Independent Center for Farmworkers (CITA) to join them as implementing partners. Over the next three years, the project will document recruitment abuses of migrant workers that enter the U.S. through the H-2A agricultural guestworker program, with the goal of changing the public policy of the Mexican and U.S. governments, so that human and labor rights of these workers will be respected in the future. Between the four partner organizations we are working with 10 organizations in 7 Mexican states. Each local organization is working in their communities and interviewing migrant workers who have, are currently or will be going to participate in the H2A guest worker program in the US. Three of our Defenders are part of this project: Frente indígena de organizaciones binacionales (FIOB), Centro de Derechos Humanos Ñu'u Ji Kandií A.C., and Centro Regional de Defensa de DDHH Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon, A.C.
Global Workers Launches Canada Program
For the first time in history, Canada opened its doors to more foreigners to work on temporary visas than to immigrants. The dramatic shift means that Canada will increasingly rely on temporary laborers to work its fields and its factories instead of welcoming foreigners to stay and integrate into Canadian society. As the temporary programs grow exponentially, so have the complaints from workers about abuses. After more than two years of intermittent case work and advocacy, Global Workers has decided to officially launch a Canada program. Global Workers has partnered with Canada’s largest private union in Canada, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), to help workers receive training on their rights before they migrate and to handle cases of labor abuse after they return. The UFCW has committed to training the Global Workers Defenders Network on Canadian labor laws and then to work together to resolve workers complaints. The historic partnership opens a new chapter for Global Workers in its defense of migrant workers. Over the next few months, look to our website for updated information as we roll out the program.
Interview with Board Member, Gretchen Kuhner
Global Workers is very excited to welcome Gretchen Kuhner to our Board of Directors. Gretchen is the Executive Director of the Institute for Women in Migration (Instituto para mujeres en migración), a NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) based in Mexico City, Mexico. Gretchen has known Executive Director, Cathleen Caron, through the work on migration. Gretchen met our Executive Director in July 2005 when Cathleen was making her first trip to Mexico to meet leaders in the field of migration in Mexico. Since that first day, Gretchen embraced our work and has been behind Global Workers every step of the way. In recognition of her pivotal role for Global Workers in Mexico, we invited her to join our board.
Gretchen has worked for more than a decade on women’s rights and migration related issues in Mexico, as a private consultant and as a staff member with Without Borders, Sin Fronteras, a Mexican NGO that defends the rights of migrants, refugees and their families. She is well tuned into the Mexican political and social dynamics and thus a valuable resource for Global Workers because of the connections she has developed in Mexico and the nature of her work.
Gretchen’s newly founded organization, the Institute for Women in Migration, is building a binational network between U.S. based NGOs that assists victims of human trafficking with legal processes and Mexican advocates that work on preventing trafficking. Oftentimes, U.S. organizations have access to a wealth of information from where victims originate to the modus operandi of human traffickers. This helps Mexican organizations identity patterns and locate cases, thus enabling them to focus their efforts on preventing trafficking on specific geographical areas. Another project of the Institute for Women in Migration addresses the need to educate women on how to migrate and transit in a safe manner. Women and children are the most vulnerable of being trafficked while migrating.
Interview with Board Member, Howard Langer
Howard Langer is one of the nation’s top anti-trust lawyers with over 20 years of experience litigating price-fixing by multi-national corporations. He recently joined the Global Workers Board of Directors.
Howard Langer learned about Global Workers through his partner, John Grogan, who has been involved with legal aid justice societies his whole career. Langer is attracted by the concept of portable justice, the access of legal representation across national borders. A model that is appealing especially for vulnerable populations such as guestworkers that are present in most countries in the world but due to linguistic barriers and physical borders do not obtain the necessary legal representation.
Langer’s partners at, Langer, Grogan & Diver, P.C. combine a sense of idealism with practical litigation that is not primarily aimed towards social justice. They select cases that involve vulnerable populations that are being preyed on economically. Oftentimes, this involves major multi-national corporations as the predator, which makes this type of business model very successful from a commercial perspective while maintaining a socially relevant character. The law partners are not civil rights lawyers that seek to represent individuals whose rights have been violated, but identify cases in order to represent people that normally do not receive due legal representation; as a result, the company is contributing to social justice. The business model is based on David Rudofsky’s philosophy that combines civil and criminal rights in the defense of individuals and, at times, works in cooperation with non-profit organizations.
American Constitution Society bestows David Carliner Public Interest Award on Global Workers' Director, Cathleen Caron.
"David Carliner was a tremendous advocate for human rights. He was ahead of his time and met incredible resistant for the work he did. We have all benefitted from his courageous work. What an honor to be bestowed an award by his family." Cathleen Caron
Jacob Carliner presents award to Cathleen Caron, June 18, 2010
Cathleen was presented with the David Carliner Public Interest Award during the national convention of the American Constitution Society, held in Washington, D.C. from June 17 – 19, 2010. The American Constitution Society is an organization founded in 2001 that encompasses a network of organizations, lawyers, policymakers and others, whose goals are the promotion of the fundamental values the constitution expresses: individual rights and liberties, “genuine” equality and equal access to justice, democracy and the rule of law.
Every year, the Carliner award is granted to an outstanding mid-career public interest lawyer employed by a nonprofit organization who has shown a passionate commitment in civil liberties, international or immigrants’ rights. Cathleen was selected among five candidates. The award memorializes the exemplary life’s work of David Carliner, founder of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, defender of vulnerable populations and whose voice in the current climate of anti-immigration is dearly missed. This recent accomplishment is another confirmation of Global Worker’s important work for transnational portable justice across borders.
Global Workers joins forces with AMARC Mexico
Global Workers and AMARC-Mexico, (Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarios-Mexico) have recently joined forces to work on an exciting outreach program that will provide thousands of migrants, know-your-rights information, as well as, updates on various other labor and immigration issues, within the comfort of their own homes – through their home radios! AMARC is a network of community radio stations in 10 Mexican states (Michoacán, Jalisco, Zacatecas, Sonora, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Estado de México, Puebla and México City). By working with AMARC’s already established network and website, Global Workers will be able to share it’s expertise and information therefore reaching thousands more migrants than it has ever before. We have already provided some information dealing with the most recent Arizona legislation – please check it out!
Cathleen Caron to be honored with the Peter Cicchino Award for Outstanding Advocacy in the Public Interest
Global Workers congratulates Executive Director, Cathleen Caron, for receiving the Peter Cicchino Award for Outstanding Advocacy in the Public Interest from the American University Washington College of Law. Cathleen won the award for her commitment to and creative service in the public interest, in the category for Alumnae Involved in International Work. The law school will honor her at the 11th Annual Peter Cicchino Public Service Awards dinner on April 13.
The award celebrates Peter Cicchino’s outstanding devotion to public interest issues in all aspects of his life, by recognizing students and alumni who have demonstrated a similar dedication in their work. Peter Cicchino was a rare combination of activist and scholar. He spent most of his adult life serving the indigent directly and advocating vociferously for the disadvantaged. As a law professor in the final two years of his life, Peter made compelling moral and legal arguments for a society that meets the basic needs of all its members, and against insidious discrimination. In April 2000, American University's Washington College of Law inaugurated the annual Peter Cicchino Awards for Outstanding Advocacy in the Public Interest. Peter passed away three months later after a two-year struggle with colon cancer at the age of 39. For more information go to the Peter M. Cicchino Social Justice Foundation or American University, Washinton College of Law.
The New Regulations for Guestworker Program H-2A
The U.S. has an agricultural guestworker program called the H-2A program. This program allows employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to apply for visas to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers (such as Mexicans, Guatemalans, Indians, etc.) to the U.S. for agricultural work or temporary or seasonal services. There is no limit to the number of visas granted annually under the H-2A. There are three different federal agencies that oversee the program, and the three agencies have different figures. See U.S. Country Data for more information.
Historically, this program has had both its successes and problems, depending on whom you ask. The employers claim that the program is absolutely necessary because they cannot find US workers to do the work in the fields, and so they need to bring in foreign workers; but the advocates for these workers talk about the abuses workers suffer at the hands of recruiters and/or employers. Under the Bush administration certain regulations were passed that worsened the conditions for workers, such as lowering the amounts that were paid to workers. But on February 12, 2010 the Department of Labor, under the Obama Administration, published a final rule amending the regulations governing the labor certification process for temporary agricultural employment under the H-2A program. These new rules are a big win for both advocates and workers because it includes more protections for the workers. For more information on the new regulations go to Farmworker Justice.
Dartmouth College honors Global Workers' Executive Director
Dartmouth College will honor Global Workers' Executive Director, Cathleen Caron, with the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award for Ongoing Commitment. The awards ceremony will be held on January 29, 2010 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Awards honor members of the Dartmouth and Upper Valley (the area surrounding Dartmouth) community who have contributed significantly to social justice, peace, civil rights, education, public health, or environmental justice. In learning of the honor, Cathleen commented, "It is humbling to receive an honor from my alma mater, even more so in the name of Dr. King. It is wonderful that the College is honoring its alums who strive every day to make the world more just. We hope to use this opportunity to bring more awareness about the plight of today’s migrants and the need for portable justice in this ever-globalizing economy." To read more click here.
December 18 is International Migrant Day
Photo courtesy, David Bacon
This month celebrates International Migrants Day on December 18, commemorating the day in 1990 when the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The tradition began after Filipino and other Asian migrant communities began using the day to celebrate international solidarity with migrants. Building on this, other migrant rights groups began campaigning for an official day of recognition for the community, and in 2000 the UN officially proclaimed December 18 as International Migrants Day.
Since 2000, the day has been used to focus attention towards the issues faced by migrants all over the world. Every year, increasing numbers of organizations have commemorated this day with events and calls to action. One organization in particular is December 18, a migrant rights organization, which produces an annual radio program, bringing migrant voices from all over the world together into a day-long radio program. Last year, 175 radio stations from 48 countries participated in the program, which celebrated the contributions of migrants, as well as opinion pieces from international experts, and interviews with various UN representatives. To find a radio station in your area, hear clips from last year’s program, or stream the program online, visit the Radio 1812 website.
Currently there are more people living in countries other than that of their origin than ever before –a staggering 214 million. In his opening remarks at the Global Forum on Migration and Development this year, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reminded all of us that, “As we look to these challenges, we recognize that in many ways, migration is not just a journey of people – it is a journey of policy… Our destination is a global system of mobility that allows people to move in legal, safe and orderly ways – with full respect for their dignity.” Global Workers will work hard in this new year to move us closer to the goal of global mobility set by the Secretary General. On December 18, please take a moment to remember migrants and their daily struggle for full dignity.
Retaliation Successfully Challenged in Guatemala
For four years in a row, Jose traveled from Guatemala to work on a farm in Quebec, Canada. Jose was one of thousands of farmworkers who are recruited each year to work the fields of Canada. For years Jose and his co-workers suffered verbal abuse while performing back-breaking work but never complained for fear of losing their jobs. But one day after witnessing the farmer beat one of their Mexican colleagues with a metal pole, Jose could be quiet no longer. Jose and fellow workers went to a local Canadian union to complain. Thinking he had done the right thing, Jose was shocked to learn that upon his return to Guatemala the recruiter wanted him to recant his statement. According to Jose, if he did not sign a document withdrawing his statement about the beating, he would not return to Canada. Three workers refused to sign the document. Those three workers were not allowed to return to Canada. As a result of a coordinated effort between Global Workers, its local Defender in Guatemala City, and the Canadian union, the recruiter just recently offered to send Jose to Canada again, this time with a better employer. This was the news Jose had been hoping for over the three years while he waited for justice and survived on subsistence farming in a remote region of Guatemala. Global Worker salutes Jose for his courage and tenacity!
Global Workers Gets a New Website, September 2009
After several years, Global Workers has given itself a facelift with the launch of a brand new website highlighting how far our organization has come in the last few years. In "Our Work" you can view some of our past successes with summaries of cases Global Workers has facilitated. To better get to know the people who make our work possible, we invite you to read about our Defender Network, under "For Advocates." These pages are complete with pictures of our Defenders and an interactive map to see where each of our Defenders are located. From there, you can also see photos from our inaugural Defender Training in Chiapas, Mexico in March, 2008. Another exciting addition, also under "Our Work," is the Legal Directory, an interactive United States map which lists Legal Services organizations who directly handle civil labor violations cases, for low or no-fee service. Lastly, be sure to check the homepage every week for News updates and our new Monthly Feature, which will highlight an important event for Global Workers or labor migration in general. Also, don’t forget to check our blog, which is updated periodically and provides the most insight into our day to day work defending portable justice for global migrants.
We would like to give a special thank you to Mia Carlvik, who volunteered her time to create and maintain our original website. We cannot thank her enough for her hard work and creativity.
Global Workers was a finalist in the Ashoka/Changemakers global anti-trafficking competition, Ending Global Slavery: Everyday Heroes Leading the Way, August 2009
Anti-Trafficking Honors.
In recognition of its unique work, Global Workers was invited to enter the Ashoka/Changemakers global anti-trafficking competition, Ending Global Slavery: Everyday Heroes Leading the Way. The competition featured innovative projects from around the world that combat human trafficking in creative and profound ways. We were one of 12 finalists out of the 435 organizational entries. In honoring us, the international panel of judges noted that Global Workers
"is an impressive program because it helps transnational migrant workers retain rights in their destination country, even after they have returned home. By using existing instruments, expanding them to new areas, and applying them to new initiatives, this organization has the potential for long-term success."
It is an honor and a privilege to make justice more accessible to migrant workers everyday. What a thrill it was to be valued for this work. Read more about the competition as well as the Global Workers entry.
The Bandana Project, April, 2009
Global Workers Justice Alliance Partners With Southern Poverty Law Center to Raise Awareness of Sexual Exploitation of Farmworker Women in U.S.
Global Workers Justice Alliance is proud to partner with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to raise awareness of the sexual exploitation of farmworker women in the U.S. through the “Bandana Project." April is National Sexual Awareness Month, so the Bandana Project and its partners will spotlight the plight of farmworker women and their vulnerability to sexual harassment at work with an international campaign. As part of this campaign, more than 100 community groups, universities and other organizations have adopted the bandana as a symbol because farmworker women often use them on the job to cover their faces and bodies in an attempt to ward off unwanted sexual attention that often leads to rape. For more information and exhibits of hand decorated bandanas, visit www.bandanaproject.org or download the Bandana Project flier.
Realizing the American Dream? Contemporary Challenges Facing H-2B Guest Workers and their Advocates, March 24, 2009
Executive Director Cathleen Caron spoke at the conference Realizing the American Dream? Contemporary Challenges Facing H2-B Guest Workers and their Advocates, hosted by the International Human Rights Clinic's Immigrants' Rights Division of American University's Washington College of Law. The panel, entitled The Realities of Transnational Litigation Involving H-2B Workers, also included Mary Bauer of the Southern Poverty Law Center and Arthur Read of Friends of Farmworkers, two of Global Workers' US partners, as well as Rachel Micah-Jones, of Centro de los Derechos del Migrante.
Freedom Network's 2009 Human Trafficking Conference, March 18, 2009
Executive Director Cathleen Caron spoke at the Freedom Network's 2009 Human Trafficking Conference, Modern Day Slavery: Conference on Human Trafficking – Increasing awareness, assisting victims, prosecuting the perpetrators, serving the survivors on the panel, Understanding the Intersection of Migration and Exploitation: Ways to Prevent Human Trafficking and Slavery. The panel also included Mary DeLorey of the Strategic Issues Advisor for Catholic Relief Services, the Relief and Development Agency of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Global Perspectives on Workers' Rights: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know, September 17 - November 7, 2008
The Labor and Employment Law Program of Cornell University's ILR School, the International Commission for Labor Rights, and the Global Worker Justice Alliance joined together to develop a five-session webinar series that explored cutting-edge legal principles and strategies in workers' rights. The webinar format allowed lawyers all over the country to participate in seminars and was led by 15 leaders in the field of international labor law. The web series, held from September 17 to November 7, began with a primer entitled, "Workers' Rights as Human Rights" and then expanded into current problems, international mechanisms, and transnational justice for migrant workers.
For more information about the event, please see our blog.
Workers' Rights and the Changing Global Economy: A Conversation Featuring Bill Gould, September 22, 2008
Global Workers, in partnership with Cornell University’s Industrial & Labor Relations and the International Commission for Labor Rights, presented a Continuing Legal Education event featuring Bill Gould, former chairman of the NLRB followed by a wine and cheese reception and fundraiser. Professor Gould spoke on the privatization of labor law in a globalized context, and implications for future reform, discussing for the first time some of his work on recent NLRB cases.
A prolific scholar of labor and discrimination law, Professor Gould has been an influential voice on worker-management relations for over forty years and recently served as chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. Professor Gould has been a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators since 1970 and has arbitrated and mediated more than 200 labor disputes, including the salary disputes between the Major League Baseball Players Association and the Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee. He currently serves as independent Monitor for FirstGroup America, addressing freedom of association complaints.
For more information on the event, please see our blog.
Inaugural Global Workers Defender Training, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico April, 2008
Declaration from the event (in Spanish) (in English)
For more information on the event, please see our blog for April 27, April 28, April 29, and April 30.
Global Workers Justice Alliance. 789 Washington Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11238