USCIB Executive Vice President Ronnie Goldberg was re-elected to the Governing Body of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in a vote conducted in Geneva last week . The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times annually in Geneva. It takes decisions on policy and establishes the program and budget of the 183 member states of the ILO.
The ILO is a tripartite United Nations agency where representatives of government, business and labor work jointly to promote greater respect for labor rights around the world. USCIB represents the interests of American business in the ILO through its role as the U.S. affiliate of the International Organization of Employers (IOE). Ms. Goldberg also serves as the IOE’s regional vice chair for North America.
In a related development, Adam Greene, USCIB’s vice president for labor and corporate responsibility, was recently named by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to the National Advisory Committee for the Labor Provisions of U.S. Trade Agreements, which provides advice on the implementation of labor chapters of U.S. free trade agreements as well as the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation.
The ILO Governing Body election took place during the annual International Labor Conference, at which a new international labor standard aimed at improving conditions for domestic workers was adopted. The U.S. employers’ delegation to this year’s ILO conference was headed by Edward E. Potter, director of global workplace rights with The Coca-Cola Company and chair of USCIB’s Labor and Employment Policy Committee. In addition to Ms. Goldberg and Mr. Greene, the delegation included John Kloosterman (Littler Mendelson), Kent McVay (Coca-Cola), John Oswalt (Procter and Gamble) and Kevin Sullivan (IBM).
Other outcomes of this year’s conference included guidance on labor inspection and a decision to negotiate an ILO recommendation on social security. Heads of state and government addressing the delegates included German ChancellorAngela Merkel and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Staff contact: Adam Greene
