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WHO WE ARE
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The Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network is a volunteer network of 300 occupational safety and health professionals who have placed their names on a resource list to provide information, technical assistance and on-site instruction regarding workplace hazards to worker and community organizations in the developing world. Network members, including industrial hygienists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, occupational physicians and nurses, and health educators among others, are donating their time and expertise to create safer and healthier working conditions for workers employed by transnational corporations around the world.
Since 1993, the Network has expanded its work from Mexico to include projects in Bangladesh, Central American, China, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Our goal has always been to build the capacity of workers and their organizations to understand occupational health and safety issues and to be able to speak and act in their own name to protect their health and to exercise their rights. Our activities have included providing information and trainings to workers, plant-wide health and safety committees, and to community, human rights and professional associations; technical assistance to workers filing complaints under international trade agreements; and technical information for grassroots organizations monitoring the performance of transnational corporations and government health and safety agencies in the global economy.
The Support Network is not designed to generate, nor is it intended to create, business opportunities for private consultants or other for-profit enterprises. On the contrary, Network participants will be donating their time and knowledge pro bono to workers, community organizations and professional associations.
The Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network was launched in October 1993 at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). It includes occupational health specialists primarily from Canada, Mexico and the United States who are active in the APHA, American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), National Safety Council (NSC) and the 20-plus local grassroots Committees for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) groups in the U.S. and Canada.
The Support Network is continuously seeking more health and safety professionals and activists to join the network, as well as looking for more worker and community organizations who can make use of the information and technical assistance offered. Please join us!
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NEW POSTINGS
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Bangladesh OHS Links – Selected media articles and reports, April-June 2018 |
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Selected Articles and Reports on Corporate Social Responsibility, March-May 2018 |
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Rana Plaza 5th Anniversary – Selected Articles and Reports |
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OHS Initiative for Workers and Community (Dhaka) Update – April 2018 |
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“Binding Power: The sourcing squeeze, workers’ rights, and building safety in Bangladesh since Rana Plaza,” Mark Anner, Penn State University, March 22, 2018 |
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OHS Rights newsletter, ANROEV – January-March 2018 |
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Made in China journal, January-March 2018 |
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ILO Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety, January 2018 |
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NETWORK RESOURCES
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Key Articles from the Network |
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“Latest data on working conditions in global supply chains – March 2018 edition,” The Pump Handle, March 13, 2018 |
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“Latest data on working conditions in global supply chains, September 2017 edition,” The Pump Handle, September 21, 2017 |
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“Keeping track of working conditions and workers’ rights in global supply chains,” The Pump Handle, June 20, 2017 |
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“Global supply chains still full of sweatshops,” The Pump Handle, September 21, 2016 |
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"Factory certification schemes pose danger to safety & health profession," Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, May 2013 (PDF – 1.4MB) |
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"Now is the time for us to become the leaders we have been waiting for" presentation by MHSSN Coordinator Garrett Brown at WorkSafe Conference on March 25, 2011, in Emeryville, CA; reprinted in New Solutions, 2011 (PDF) |
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Genuine Worker Participation—An Indipansable Key to Effective Global OH article by Garrett Brown in New Solutions, Vol. 19(3) 2009 (PDF) |
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“Mexico’s daycare fire: not even babies are protected,” Garrett Brown at “The Pump Handle” blog, July 23, 2009 |
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“Why Immigrant Workers Are Coming to the U.S., and How We Can and Need to Work Together" (speech by Garrett Brown to the Immigrant Workers in Construction Conference, Center to Protect Workers Rights, Sacramento, CA, on April 12, 2007) |
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“Immigrant Workers Are Our Allies, Not Our Enemies" (speech by Garrett Brown to the Center to Protect Worker Rights conference in Tijuana, Mexico, on August 15, 2005) |
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“Protecting Workers’ Health and Safety in the Globalizing Economy through International Trade Treaties” (by Garrett Brown, International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, April–June 2005) (PDF) |
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Why NAFTA Failed and What’s Needed to Protect Workers’ Health and Safety in International Trade Treaties (by Garrett Brown, December 2004) (PDF) |
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"Speak Out: Portrait of a Failure, NAFTA and Workplace Health and Safety" (by Garrett Brown, The Synergist, August 2004) |
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Key Statements from the Network |
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MHSSN and OHS Professional Associations |
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Network Reading and Resource Lists |
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Network Newsletters |
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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ITS FAILURES
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Key Website to Monitor Corporate Social Responsibility Reports |
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MHSSN Resource Lists |
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Key Articles from the Network |
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“Global capitalism undermines progress in workplace safety in Bangladesh’s garment industry,” The Pump Handle, November 2, 2017 |
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“Latest data on working conditions in global supply chains – March 2018 edition,” The Pump Handle, March 13, 2018 |
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“Latest data on working conditions in global supply chains, September 2017 edition,” The Pump Handle, September 21, 2017 |
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“Hansae Vietnam garment factory: Latest example of how corporate social responsibility has failed to protect workers,” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, August 2017 |
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“The corporate social responsibility mirage,” Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, May 2017 |
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“Worker Revolt in Myanmar Smashes garment factory and apparel brands’ false promises,” The Pump Handle, April 10, 2017 |
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“Hansae Vietnam: Case study of hazardous working conditions and the failure of corporate social responsibility audits to fix the hazards,’ The Pump Handle, December 13, 2016” |
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“Global supply chains still full of sweatshops,” The Pump Handle, September 21, 2016 |
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"Factory certification schemes pose danger to safety & health profession," Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, May 2013 (PDF – 1.4MB) |
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"Fatal Flaws of Foreign Factory Audits: 'A spectacular failure' to
improve conditions" Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, February 2013 (PDF) |
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"MHSSN Statement on CSR Monitoring of Global Supply Chain Factories" January 2013 |
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“Corporate Social Responsibility: The moment of truth arrives,” article by Garrett Brown in the May 2009 Industrial Safety and Hygiene News (also available as a PDF) |
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“Genuine Worker Participation – An Indispensable Key to Effective Global OHS" a presentation by Garrett Brown, Professional Conference in Industrial Hygiene, AIHA Academy of Industrial Hygiene, November 10, 2008 (PDF) |
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“Perils of a schizoid business model " article by Garrett Brown, in Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, September 2, 2008 |
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“Corporate Social Responsibility Brings Limited Progress on Workplace Safety in Global Supply Chains" (by Garrett Brown, Occupational Hazards, August 1, 2007) |
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“Why sweatshops won’t go away,” by Garrett Brown, Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, June 1, 2006 |
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“ISO's Social Responsibility guidelines: A small step forward — maybe" (column by Garrett Brown, Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, September 2005) |
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More Articles and Reports on CSR |
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“Report of the gender based violence platform and international expert-group meeting,” Mondiaal FNU, October 2017 |
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“The Occupational Health and Safety Professional Capability Framework; A global framework for practice” and the “Singapore Accord,” INSHPO, September 2017 |
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“The Need for Standardized Sustainability Reporting Practices; Issues relating corporate disclosure of information on occupational health & safety performance,” Center for Safety and Health Sustainability, August 2017 |
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“Removing Barriers to Justice; How a treaty on business and human rights could improve access to remedy for victims,” Daniel Blackburn, commissioned by eight European non-governmental organizations, August 2017 |
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“The problem with Corporate Social Responsibility,” Jennifer Gordon, Fordham University School of Law, July 11, 2017 |
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“Purchasing practices and working conditions in global supply chains: Global survey results,” International Labor Organization, INWORK Issue Brief No. 10, June 2017 |
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“Follow The Thread; The need for supply chain transparency in the garment and footwear industry,” April 2017 |
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“Saving the world, one meaningless buzzword at a time; How corporations, activists and politicians turned the language of human rights into meaningless babble,” Michael Hobbes, Foreign Policy, March 2017 |
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List of Selected Labor Rights Organizations |
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List of Selected CSR Organizations |
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BANGLADESH OHS PROJECTS |
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“What does that $14 shirt really cost?” From the archives: "Bangladesh disaster raises tough questions about cheap clothes," Rosemary Westwood, Maclean’s, May 1, 2013 (PDF) |
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“Plaza Plaza Disaster – 5th Anniversary (2018); Selected reports and articles” |
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“Beyond Third-Party monitoring; Post-Rana Plaza Interventions,” Sanchita Banerjee Saxena, Economic & Political Weekly, April 2018 |
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“Traumatic life events and development of post-traumatic stress disorder among female factory workers in a developing country,” Taylor Jennelle Fitch, et al., International Journal of Social Psychiatry, March 2018 |
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“Strategic Sector Cooperation Denmark-Bangladesh, 1st Quarter 2018”, March 2018 |
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“Denmark exports good working conditions to Bangladesh,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, January 2018 |
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“Binding Power: The sourcing squeeze, workers’ rights, and building safety in Bangladesh since Rana Plaza,” Mark Anner, Penn State University, March 22, 2018 |
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“Global capitalism undermines progress in workplace safety in Bangladesh’s garment industry,” The Pump Handle, November 2, 2017 |
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“Regulating factory safety in the Bangladesh garment industry,” Philip James, et al., Regulation & Governance, October 2017 |
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“Report of the gender based violence platform and international expert-group meeting,” Mondiaal FNU, October 2017 |
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“Strategic Sector Cooperation Denmark-Bangladesh” newsletter, October 2017 |
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“Bangladesh Accord extended three years – worker protections strengthened, proponents promote an ‘alternative to standard CSR programs’,” The Pump Handle, July 18, 2017 |
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“Towards improved fire and building safety in Bangladesh,” International Labor Organization, Dhaka Office, May 2017 |
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“Follow The Thread; The need for supply chain transparency in the garment and footwear industry,” April 2017 |
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“Report examines grim Bangladesh leather trade, links to West,” Martha Mendoza and Julhas Alam, Associated Press, March 2017 |
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Crackdown in Bangladesh |
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Labor rights organizations’ letter to brands, December 23, 2016 |
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Labor rights organizations’ letter to brands, January 18, 2016 |
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“Government, industry crackdown in Bangladesh threatens health & safety improvements; clothing brands petitioned to respond,” The Pump Handle, January 26, 2017 |
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“How repressive law enforcement crushed minimum wage protests in Bangladesh’s garment sector,” David Bergman and Muktadir Rashid, The Wire, February 2, 2017 |
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“Misconceptions Regarding Mass Arrests and Terminations in Bangladesh,” Worker Rights Consortium, February 4, 2017 |
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“Branded childhood; How garment brands contribute to low wages, long working hours, school dropout and child labour in Bangladesh,” SOMO, et. al., January 2017 |
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“OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector,” Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, February 2017 |
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“Even after the Rana Plaza disaster it is hard to get international clothing brands to do the right thing,” The Pump Handle, November 29, 2016 |
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“Dangerous delays on Worker Safety; Walmart, Gap, VF Target & Hudson’s Bay have failed to address deadly hazards in many factories, But Bangladesh Alliance downplays the problem with rosy status reports,” International Labor Rights Forum, Workers Rights Consortium, Clean Clothes Campaign, and Maquila Solidarity Network, November 2016 |
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AIHCE 2016 — Bangladesh — G Brown — May 2016 (PDF) |
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ILO report — improving safety & rights in RMG in Bangladesh — April 2016 (PDF) |
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Selected Reports and Articles on the Third Anniversary of the Rana Plaza Collapse (PDF) |
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NFPA High Level Report on Bangladesh Garment Factories, March 2016 (PDF) |
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“The Bulk of the Iceberg: A critique of the Stern Center’s Report on Worker Safety in Bangladesh,” PennState Center for Global Workers Rights, February 2016 (PDF) |
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“Our Voices, Our Safety, Bangladeshi Garment Workers Speak Out,” International Labor Rights Forum, December 2015 (PDF) |
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"Keeping Bangladesh Garment Workers Alive, Safe, Sound," IGNITE presentation at the June 2015 conference of the American Industrial Hygiene Association by Garrett Brown (YouTube video) |
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"Bringing labor rights back to Bangladesh," article by Robert J. Ross, The American Prospect, summer 2015. (PDF) |
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"Why voluntary standards won't make the global garment industry safer," article by Robert J. Ross, The American Prospect, June 8, 2015 (PDF) |
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'"Whoever raises their head suffers the most,' Workers rights in Bangladesh's garment factories," report by Human Rights Watch, April 2015 (PDF) |
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"Emerging from the tragedies in Bangladesh: A challenge to voluntarism in the global economy," article by Bjorn Skorpen Claeson, New Solutions, spring 2015 (PDF) |
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“Bangladesh Fact Sheet, Clean Clothes Campaign, 2015” |
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Selected list of 2016 articles and reports |
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Selected list of 2015 articles and reports |
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Selected list of articles and reports before 2015 |
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ALTA GRACIA PROJECT — "No Sweat" factory in the DR |
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Alta Gracia factory follow-up report, MHSSN health and safety inspection, February 2011 (PDF) |
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“No sweat”: In the Dominican Republic article by Garrett Brown in Industrial Safety and Hyg October 1, 2010 |
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“No-Sweat” Factory in Dominican Republic Focuses on Worker Safety article in the newsletter "Bridges" from COEH (Center for Occupational & Environmental Health), UC Berkeley, Summer 2010 |
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GLOBAL ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS |
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Good Electronics — website and publications |
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“The Blind; An untold story behind Samsung and LG cell phones,” Korean non-governmental organizations, May 2017 |
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Global Electronics Factories in Spotlight article by Garrett Brown in the Occupational Health & Safety Magazine, August 4, 2010 |
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Worker Suicides At Foxconn plant in Shenzhen, China — Supplier for Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard June 2010 |
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Dozens of Cancer Deaths At Samsung Electronics Plants in Korea — Young Workers Die In “Cancer Factories” June 2010 |
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Electronics: Poster Child of the 21st Century Sweatshops and Despoiler of the Environment? article by Garrett Brown in EHS Today, September 2009 (PDF) |
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Selected List of Reports on Working Conditions in the Global Electronics Industry (July 2009) |
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Selected List of Organizations and Current Campaign in the Global Electronics Industry (July 2009) |
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MEXICO HEALTH & SAFETY PROJECTS |
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MEXICO-RELATED LAW AND GOVERNMENT RESOURCES |
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CANANEA COPPER MINE PROJECT |
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HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLAINTS FILED UNDER NAFTA |
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Analysis of the complaint process by Human Rights Watch: 'Trading Away Rights: The Unfilled Promises of the NAFTA Labor Side Agreement (April 2001) www.hrw.org/reports/2001/nafta
Complaint by workers at the Autotrim plant in Matamoros and Customtrim/Breed Mexicana plant in Valle Hermoso (June 2000) |
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Text of Network testimony at the U.S. NAO hearing in San Antonio, TX, (December 12, 2000)
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NIOSH Report on visits to Autotrim and Customtrim plants (March 7, 2001) (PDF)
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July 6, 2001 letter to the U.S. NAO with proposed remedies
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November 20, 2001 letter to the U.S. NAO protesting lack of action
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December 12, 2001 letter to U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao proposing the creation of an "Evaluation Committee of Experts" |
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March 20, 2002 letter to U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao protesting her refusal to convoke an "Evaluation Committee of Experts" |
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CJM Fact Sheet on Customtrim/Autotrim Complaint |
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35 Members of Congress Write Labor Secretary Chao Demanding Action on Autotrim/Customtrim (May 7, 2002) |
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US-Mexico "Joint Declaration" to close the Autotrim/Customtrim case (June 11, 2002) |
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CJM Statement on the June 11th US-Mexico Joint Declaration (June 19, 2002) |
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UE President Hovis letter to Secretary Chao (July 24, 2002) |
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Senators Kennedy and Wellstone letter to Secretary Chao (August 23, 2002) |
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CJM Letter to Labor Secretaries Chao and Abascal (September 6, 2002) |
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AT/CT Submitters Letter to the 3 NAFTA Labor Secretaries (October 7, 2003) |
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US Department of Labor response to October 2003 letter (December 15, 2003) (PDF) |
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Canada's Labour Ministry response to October 2003 letter (December 18, 2003) (PDF) |
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March 15, 2004 letter to Canada's Labour Minister and US Labor Department |
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Complaint by workers at the Han Young plant in Tijuana (February 1998) |
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ACTIVITIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA
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ASIA HEALTH & SAFETY PROJECTS
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Vietnam |
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In October 2016, Network Coordinator Garrett Brown and industrial hygienist Enrique Medina were asked by the Workers Rights Consortium in Washington, DC to conduct a site inspection of a Korean-operated garment factory in Vietnam which produces for major international apparel corporations, including Nike.
Materials related to the factory audit include the following: |
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“Hansae Vietnam garment factory: Latest example of how corporate social responsibility has failed to protect workers,” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, August 2017 |
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“Hansae Vietnam: Case study of hazardous working conditions and the failure of corporate social responsibility audits to fix the hazards,’ The Pump Handle, December 13, 2016” |
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“Workers Rights Consortium Factory Assessment, Hansae Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Vietnam); Findings, Recommendation, Status Update,” - Workers Rights Consortium, December 6, 2016 |
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“Report of Occupational Health and Safety Audit at Hansae Vietnam Company Limited,” Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network and Alliance Consulting International,” October 21, 2016 (PDF) |
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“Working life in the latest corporate supply chain ‘Promised Land’ – Vietnam,” The Pump Handle, October 28, 201 6 (PDF) |
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| In January 2000, Network Coordinator Garrett Brown and Professor Dara O'Rourke of MIT received a two-year grant from the MacArthur Foundation to conduct capacity-building trainings on occupational safety and health topics with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Asia.
The first training occurred in Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2000 with 32 representatives of 12 NGOs and six trade unions. A follow-up training with these participants and others occurred in February 2002.
The second training occured in August 2001 in Dongguan City, China, at a 30,000-worker sports shoe factory. The training involved participants from NGOs in Hong Kong and China, Hong Kong trade unions, labor practices staff of adidas, Reebok and Nike, and production workers and supervisors/managers of three plants in Guangdong Province. |
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| China |
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Made in China journal, – Vol. 3, No. 1, January-March 2018 |
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“Made in China” journal – Vol. 2, No. 4, December 2017 |
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“Made in China” journal, September 2017 |
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“Made in China” journal, June 2017 |
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“Made in China” journal, March 2017 |
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“Made in China” journal, December 2016 |
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“Lean Manufacturing Comes to China" (PDF) article in the July-September 2007 issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health |
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“ISHN Global Watch: China proposes worker protection law” (by Garrett Brown, Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, May 24, 2007) |
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Memorandum of Understanding for July 2001 training of NGO staff, Hong Kong union staff, international brand staff, plant supervisors and workers in Dongguan City, China |
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China: March 2002 Evaluation Visits to Three Giant Footwear Plants |
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Final Report of the Coordinating Committee of the "China Capacity Building Project—Occupational Health and Safety" May 29, 2002 |
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International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Volume 9, Number 4, October/December 2003 (Special Issue: Occupational Health and Safety in China) |
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GLOBALIZATION ISSUES
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| The growth of the maquiladora plants on the U.S.-Mexico border, and increasingly throughout Mexico, is part of the economic "globalization" process which has affected all corners of the world. The issues of workplace and safety in the maquilas is closely linked to the issues of labor practices in the "export processing zones" and "sweatshops" in both developing and developed economies.
The following information is offered to help understand the context and challenges facing occupational health professionals in the Mexican maquilas and similar facilities throughout the world. The following references are only a small portion of the websites, organizations and publications that exist on this issue.
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Codes of Conduct and Monitoring Systems
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International Organization Codes of Conduct
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| Selected Articles and Reports |
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“Free on-line course on ‘decent work in global supply chains’ offered by the Global Labour University,” The Pump Handle, November 29, 2016 |
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PCIH 2008 Resource Flyer (Genuine Worker Participation in Plant OHS Programs — Selected Resources) |
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“Genuine Worker Participation – An Indispensable Key to Effective Global OHS" a presentation by Garrett Brown, Professional Conference in Industrial Hygiene, AIHA Academy of Industrial Hygiene, November 10, 2008 (PDF) |
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"The Global Threats to Workers' Health and Safety on the Job" by Garrett Brown, Social Justice, Vol. 29, No.3 |
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Ethical Performance (British newsletter on corporate responsibility worldwide) |
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SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY
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[END OF HOMEPAGE]
This site was last revised June 2018
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