Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Not to be missed! This Foreign Affairs Magazine article lays out the case for how the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement puts workers first, in alignment with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to worker rights as key to our trade policy. Per the article: “The USMCA’s labor rights enforcement mechanism sets a benchmark for future progress by providing a model that can be adapted to address other challenges and modified to work with other trading partners. Combined with broader efforts to boost U.S. competitiveness, trade policy can help build a stronger and more resilient U.S. economy—one that works better for all.” Check out the summary: https://bit.ly/3NO1POI #USMCA

On this International Day of Care and Support and every day, ILAB stands with #DomesticWorkers and for domestic workers’ rights at home and abroad. Globally, 75.6 million domestic workers provide services like childcare, elder care and cleaning in private homes, often for low pay and in unsafe conditions. Historically in the U.S., domestic workers were excluded from minimum wage, overtime and other labor laws – a legacy of slavery. While domestic workers in the U.S. today may have protections on some federal and state labor laws, they remain excluded from others. Enforcement is a challenge given the isolated nature of their workplaces. Many domestic workers at home and abroad still lack legal labor protections and work under precarious arrangements. Eight out of ten are informally employed. More than 75% of domestic workers globally are women. Many come from marginalized communities that experience systemic discrimination and face higher risks of labor rights violations. Their work – so called “women’s work” is often unrecognized and undervalued. But domestic workers are organizing around the world to ensure that their vital work is visible and recognized, their rights are respected and upheld, and that policies and practices ensure that they can thrive. Hear from domestic workers' unions about the power of organizing to advance their rights.

We’re hiring! As a lead international relations officer (GS-14) within the Office of Child, Labor, Forced Labor & Human Trafficking, you will help coordinate team initiatives as well as ensure the organization's mission, vision and values are integrated into the team's strategies and goals. Apply by 11/10. https://bit.ly/3Uru8pX

Excited to be in Geneva to kick off the International Labour Organization’s 352nd Governing Body Session over the next two weeks! Stay tuned for updates! https://bit.ly/3YlKCBb

Today, ILAB Deputy Undersecretary Thea Lee was in Kenya to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to advance labor cooperation. The U.S. and Kenya plan to cooperate to advance workers’ rights in areas such as: ✅ Making workplaces safer and healthier ✅ Preventing child labor and forced labor ✅ Strengthening unemployment insurance ✅ And more! By engaging in dialogue, sharing experiences and learning from each other, we will advance decent work, protect internationally recognized worker rights and promote equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic development in the United States and Kenya. https://bit.ly/3YIO22x

We wrapped up our Ghana visit with insightful discussions with the Ghana Civil-society Cocoa Platform (GCCP) and our implementing partners. The GCCP is emerging as a stronger voice for workers, with support from our GALAB project, advocating for systemic change and improving conditions in Ghana's cocoa communities. We value GCCP's insights and look forward to a continued partnership. Our implementing partners in Ghana are driving innovative solutions to address child labor and forced labor in the cocoa sector: • Verité's Forced Labor Indicators Project (FLIP) is strengthening enforcement efforts and supply chain transparency by training stakeholders how to identify and assess forced labor • Winrock International's MATE MASIE project is developing robust child labor monitoring systems with cocoa cooperatives • International Labour Organization's Global Accelerator Lab (GALAB) supports Alliance 8.7 initiatives and strengthens workers' voice Together, these projects represent ILAB's comprehensive approach to creating sustainable change in Ghana's cocoa communities. Learn more about our projects and cocoa work here: https://bit.ly/3s7SFpo

ILAB’s Associate Deputy Undersecretary Molly McCoy is leading the U.S. delegation at the #MPOWERworkers Partner Exchange on Platform Economy and Worker Rights Protection meeting in Bogotá, Colombia. M-POWER is a historic global initiative focused on ensuring working families thrive in the global economy and elevating the role of trade unions and organized workers as essential to advancing democracy. Learn more: https://bit.ly/48nDxVt

The global fashion industry is valued at over $2.4 trillion and it employs over 75 million people worldwide. Yet, wages are extremely low. Too often workers experience dangerous working conditions, long hours and lack union representation or the protection of a collective bargaining agreement. Voluntary, piecemeal and top-down approaches to corporate social responsibility have failed to address the underlying business practices that lead to labor rights violations and unsafe conditions for workers. Our recently released report on #WorkerVoice shows that engagement with authentic, representative worker voice is critical to #DueDiligence that delivers for workers and businesses. We are delighted to see more companies taking a stand against these conditions and committing to binding and enforceable agreements that are ensuring labor rights and worker safety across their supply chains. American company Levi Strauss & Co is the latest signatory to the #PakistanAccords, a proven, outcome- and worker-centered model which commits the company and its suppliers in Pakistan to ensuring safe, sustainable and decent work for garment workers across their supply chain. The U.S. Department of Labor (Tag) stands with companies that practice #ResponsibleBusinesss and uphold labor rights and worker voice. We hope to see more American textile companies follow suit. Learn more about the research on worker voice here: https://bit.ly/3AbrdLm

Deputy Undersecretary Thea Lee met with Ghana's Minister of Employment and Labor Relations, Honorable Ignatius Baffour Awuah, during her visit to Accra. The U.S. Department of Labor values our collaboration with the Government of Ghana to advance labor rights, including our long-standing cooperation on addressing child labor in cocoa-growing areas. We commend the ministry for its enduring commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable children.

As the most abundant metal on the planet, aluminum plays a crucial role in countless industries. However, once it's removed from the earth, the journey it takes through global supply chains becomes incredibly complex, making it difficult to trace.   New ILAB research uncovers alarming practices within the aluminum supply chain, particularly in regions like Xinjiang, China, where forced labor is a major concern. The implications are widespread, from the products we use daily to global industries.   🔍 Explore our findings and discover what can be done to demand transparency and support ethical sourcing. https://lnkd.in/eg48AYgT