Labor & Employment Policy

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Background

Labor laws in much of the world are based largely on the international labor standards negotiated in the ILO. The U.S. has ratified very few of these standards, but executives directing business activities outside the United States need to be informed about their consequences, and to have the opportunity to influence their content and direction.

The ILO's tripartite structure - with official representation from governments, business and labor – means that USCIB members participate directly in the development and implementation of international labor standards.

Domestically, USCIB is the officially designated U.S. business representative on the President's Committee on the ILO, the Tripartite Advisory Panel on International Labor Standards (TAPILS), and the National Advisory Committee for Labor Provisions of U.S. Free Trade Agreements.

Chair

Edward E. Potter

Director, Global Labor Relations

The Coca-Cola Company

Staff Contacts

Adam B. Greene

Vice President, Labor Affairs and Corporate Responsibility

(212) 703-5056 or agreene@uscib.org

Jessica Berti

Program Assistant

(212) 703-5049 or jberti@uscib.org

Objective

Pursue a proactive and coordinated strategy to positively influence international labor standards, increase labor market flexibility and promote best practices.

Current Priorities

· Promote effective and non-protectionist labor provisions in free trade agreements that are based on the effective enforcement of national labor laws and the core labor principles stated in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Represent U.S. business views on the National Advisory Committee on Labor Provisions in U.S. Free Trade Agreements.

· Work in the ILO Governing Body and the International Labor Conference to ensure that the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its follow-up mechanism are applied in a meaningful, effective and responsible manner, focusing on countries with persistent failures to achieve the policy objectives and goals of the fundamental ILO conventions.

· Work with the ILO Director General and the International Labor Office to focus the work of the ILO on helping member states to implement and enforce their national labor laws and to protect the fundamental rights at work in their countries.

· Participate in ILO activities related to the ILO Tripartite Declaration on Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy with a view toward maintaining its current scope and coverage. Track efforts to revise the Tripartite Declaration with amendments to bring it in line with the revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

· Organize strong U.S. business delegations for the ILO 2008 International Labor Conference and in various tripartite industrial, sectoral and technical meetings at the ILO. Support IOE participation in the 2008 World Congress on Occupational Health and Safety.

· Represent business on the President’s Committee on the ILO and the Tripartite Advisory Panel on International Labor Standards (TAPILS) process to ensure that all ILO conventions being considered for U.S. ratification conform to U.S. law and practice.

· Work through BIAC, engage in the work of the OECD Employment, Labor and Social Affairs Committee to ensure that U.S. business views are represented in the work of the OECD. Represent U.S. business views to 2008 the G8 Labor Ministerial meeting.

· Participate in the BIAC Education Committee to promote free market approaches to lifelong learning, training, and education policy. Contribute to BIAC and OECD meetings on human resources and training for the new economy to guarantee a U.S. business perspective.

· Represent U.S. business in the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters to the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor as they set policy on the social dimensions of regional integration in the Western Hemisphere.

Recent Accomplishments

· International Business Forum on Engaging Business - Child Forced Labor
(February 25, 2009 Atlanta, GA)
Please click on the provided link to access the agenda, presentations, case studies and key themes from the conference: Child Forced Labor Forum 2009

· Worked closely with USTR to promote an acceptable compromise for labor provisions in U.S. free trade agreements based on the effective enforcement of national labor laws and the principles of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Clarified the risks associated with linking ILO standards to trade agreements in a statement on U.S. Ratification of ILO Core Conventions.

· Coordinated the US employer’s delegation to the 2007 International Labor Conference, the primary UN rule-making body on international labor standards; represented business in negotiations on sustainable enterprises, strengthening the capacity of the ILO, and work in the fishing sector.

· Developed a partnership with the ILO to coordinate U.S. business support for the ILO-International Finance Corporation (IFC) Better Work Program that is working to improve labor conditions in supply chains by organizing tripartite systems in exporting countries.

· Participated in the work of the OECD Employment, Labor and Social Affairs Committee related to the OECD Employment Outlook, international migration and the regulation of private pension systems. Represented U.S. business in the 2007 G8 Labor Ministerial.

· Promoted the World Bank Doing Business reports and testified to a House hearing on the labor provisions of the Doing Business rankings.

· Represented U.S. business in the 30^th anniversary of the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy and conveyed business views on future ILO activities regarding the Tripartite Declaration.

· Coordinated US business participation in ILO technical meetings related to corporate responsibility, information technology, global food chains, chemicals and labor statistics.

· Represented employers at the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) session on economic growth and employment and the IACML workshop on trade and labor.