MONITORING INTERNATIONAL LABOR STANDARDS
SUMMARY OF DOMESTIC FORUMS
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract/Grant No. DOL-4653 between the National Academy of Sciences and U.S. Department of Labor. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Labor.
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Copyright 2003 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Cover photo credits: The four cover photos are courtesy of the International Labour Organization, with individual credit as follows: upper left corner, P. DeLoche; upper right corner, A. Khemka; the two remaining photos—left mid-page and bottom left, J. Maillard.
Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2003). Monitoring International Labor Standards: Summary of Domestic Forums. Roger McElrath, editor. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and Policy and Global Affairs Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
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Acknowledgments
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee of the National Research Council. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Fay Lyle, Solidarity Center, Washington, DC; Victor Narro, Sweatshop Watch, Los Angeles, CA; Emily O’Connor, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York, NY; Ruth Rosenbaum, CREA, Hartford, CT; Nina Smith, RUGMARK Foundation USA, Washington, DC.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report nor did they see the final draft of the report, nor did they see the draft of the final report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Burt Barnow, Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authors and the institution.
The committee also would like to thank Roger McElrath as the com- missioned editor of this report. McElrath has worked for the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and George Mason University, consulted to the International Labour Organization, and is currently assist- ing Business for Social Responsibility.
Forum Presenters
New York
JANICE BELLACE (Moderator), The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
BIPUL CHATTOPADHYAY, Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment; Consumer Unity & Trust Society, India
MIKE GRACE, Communications Workers of America
NEIL KEARNEY, International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation, Belgium
MARCELA MANUBENS, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
GREGG NEBEL, adidas-Salomon AG
CAROL PIER, Human Rights Watch
MILA ROSENTHAL, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
DAVID SCHILLING, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
ROLAND SCHNEIDER, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, France
BARBARA SHAILOR, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization
ANNA WALKER, United States Council for International Business
ROBERT ZANE, Liz Claiborne, Inc.
Los Angeles
WILLIAM B. GOULD IV (Moderator), Stanford Law School, Stanford University, Emeritus, and Willamette University College of Law
GARRETT D. BROWN, Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network
PETER CHAPMAN, Shareholder Association for Research and Education, Canada
RICHARD CLAYTON, Service Employees International Union
STEPHEN COATS, U.S./Labor Education in the Americas Project
TOM DELUCA, Toys “R” Us, Inc.
PHARIS J. HARVEY, International Labor Rights Fund, Retired
TOM HAYDEN, The Campaign for the Abolition of Sweatshops and Child Labor
AEWHA KIM, Asia Monitor Resource Center, Hong Kong
ROGER P. McDIVITT, Patagonia, Inc.
DEBBIE O’BRIEN, Business for Social Responsibility
KATIE QUAN, Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute of Industrial Relations, University of California at Berkeley
DENNIS A. SMITH, Commission for the Verification of Corporate Codes of Conduct, Guatemala
MAY WONG, Asia Monitor Resource Center, Hong Kong
List of Acronyms
AFL-CIO:
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization
AMRC:
Asia Monitor Resource Center
AS:
adidas-Salomon AG
BSR:
Business for Social Responsibility
Cal/OSHA:
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health
CalPERS
California Public Employees’ Retirement System
COVERCO:
Commission for the Verification of Corporate Codes of Conduct
CUTS:
Consumer Unity & Trust Society
CWA:
Communications Workers of America
DGB:
German federation of trade unions
DOL:
U.S. Department of Labor
FLA:
Fair Labor Association
GSP:
Generalized System of Preferences
HRW:
Human Rights Watch
ICCR:
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
ILO:
International Labour Organization
ICFTU:
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
ILAB
Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor
ILRF:
International Labor Rights Fund
ILS:
international labor standards (core)
ITGLWF:
International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation
LC:
Liz Claiborne, Inc.
LCHR:
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
MNC:
multinational corporation
NAFTA:
North American Free Trade Agreement
NAS:
National Academy of Sciences
NGO:
nongovernmental organization
NRC:
National Research Council
NYCERS:
New York City Employees’ Retirement System
OECD:
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OPIC:
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
PVH:
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
SAI:
Social Accountability International
SEIU:
Service Employees International Union
SHARE:
Shareholder Association for Research and Education
TRU:
Toys “R” Us, Inc.
TUAC:
Trade Union Advisory Committee
UN:
United Nations
UNICEF:
United Nations Children’s Fund
UNITE:
Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees
USCIB:
United States Council for International Business
US/LEAP:
U.S./Labor Education in the Americas Project
WTO:
World Trade Organization