Earlier this month, a group of U.S. unions–the AFL-CIO, SEIU, and Workers United–filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization's Committee on Freedom of Association. In the filing, they convincingly argue that U.S. labor law does not protect workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. These rights are enshrined in ILO Conventions 98 and 87 and are considered to be fundamental under the ILO’s Declaration of Fundamental Rights at Work.
The submission provides detailed examples of union busting by U.S. companies such as Starbucks: threats, dismissals, and vitriolic rhetoric about the dangers of unionism, along with the company’s refusal to follow the orders of the National Labor Relations Board when it found that Starbucks is acting illegally.
