“Free trade” agreements and the pandemic

“Especially since they started proliferating in the 1990s, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have met with strong opposition from social movements, labor, and civil society organizations because of the threat they …

The labor-busting law firms and consultants that keep Google, Amazon and other workplaces union-free

“American companies have been very successful at preventing their workers from organizing into unions in recent decades, one of the reasons unionization in the private sector is at a record …

Sanctions on China’s top cotton supplier weave a tangled web for fashion brands

In the vast steppes of China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, a paramilitary organization produces more than 7 percent of the world’s cotton, which factories around the globe spin into T-shirts, denim …

Workplace sexual harassment in Mexico: towards gender-transformative remedies

“A new Mexican labour law reform provides a series of non-judicial avenues to redress sexual harassment in the workplace, including a State conciliation mechanism and workplace grievance mechanisms. This raises …

Africa’s (Modern) Slavery Problem

“From rubies in Mozambique to emeralds in Zambia, opals in Australia, and Jade in Myanmar, the mining industry is undergoing an extraction renaissance that is as profitable as it is …

Martinez-Cuevas: Reckoning with Labor Law’s Racist Roots

The Washington Supreme Court is currently deliberating a case that could have major economic effects for our most vulnerable workers while beginning to unravel one long-standing piece of our nation’s …

California Bill: SB 1399 (Combat Wage Theft in Garment Sector)

This Bill is being proposed in the California State Senate to combat wage theft in the garment sector. This Bill would require all garment workers to be paid hourly, rather …

Fashion’s dirty secret: how sexual assault took hold in jeans factories

“At one of the biggest garment factories in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho, the managers never hired enough regular workers to complete the clothing orders that flooded in from …

YOUTH &COVID-19: IMPACTS ON JOBS, EDUCATION, RIGHTS AND MENTAL WELL-BEING

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every aspect of our lives. Even before the onset of the crisis, the social and economic integration of young people was an ongoing challenge. Now, …

The Pitfalls of Uber and Lyft as Franchisors

“Uber and Lyft are in the early stages of discussions to possibly turn many of their California drivers into employees. However, rather than become employees of the companies, the drivers …