From Chiquita to Nike: Labor Activists Drive Corporations Bananas

Labor activists try to devise innovative campaigns to catch attention of global consumers, exposing the source, labor and procedures behind popular products. Campaigns can range from stickers that explain the labor process to high-profile lawsuits on workers rights. An “effective tactic for supporting workers toiling at the roots of the global supply chain is simply gaining an understanding of the reality that these workers live in, and who their true advocates are,” writes John Lasker in an article for Toward Freedom. Lasker reports on a workers’ lawsuit against Chiquita, campaigns against sweatshops and child labor, and battles between competing groups that claim to advocate for rights of workers that make campus apparel. The internet boosts the ability of activists to launch campaigns and spread awareness, and companies often work with third-party rights groups to prevent publicity problems. – YaleGlobal