Defending Democracy: Apparel Worker Advocacy for Corporate Accountability

Corporations have made public commitments to workers’ rights and the importance of democratic space. Making good on those commitments, however, requires a shift in supply chain policies and laws that incentivize meaningful engagement with worker organizations. This panel discussion will engage industry, government, and civil society proposals for how global corporations can better support workers’ rights.

To attend in-person, please reserve your spot here.

To attend on Zoom, please reserve your spot, and complete the Zoom registration here to receive a link to join the meeting remotely.

Panelists

Tola Moeun, Executive Director, CENTRAL: democratic space in Cambodia and how US trade and business policies impact Cambodia’s labor rights defenders.

Judy Gearhart, Senior Researcher, Accountability Research Center: the role of transnational supply chain advocacy in supporting national advocacy and how corporate accountability initiatives can foster – or undermine – worker voices

Molly McCoy, Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Labor Affairs Bureau, US Department of Labor: M-POWER; how US policies can safeguard worker organizing and incentivize multinational corporations to support democratic space

Nate Herman, Senior Vice President for Policy, American Apparel and Footwear Association; how industry responds to the impact of closing civic space.

Moderator

• Marti Flacks, Director, Human Rights Initiative, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Commentators

• Eric Biel, Fair Labor Association and Georgetown University Law Center;

• Bennett Freeman, Cotton Campaign and Chatham House