Our Globalization Series Continues

Check out this article in the City Paper on the program. It is a good interview of Mr. Kernaghan

Don't forget to attend the second program on Globalization. The main speaker is Charlie Kernaghan. Mr Kernaghan is the director of the National Labor Committee, an independent, non-profit human rights organization focused on the protection of worker rights--especially those of the young women assembling garments, shoes, toys and other products for export to the U.S. in Central America, the Caribbean, China and other developing countries.

Kernaghan became involved in the struggle to defend international labor rights after participating in a peace march through Central America in December 1985. He became the director of the NLC in 1990. Pre-1985, Kernaghan taught at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and at SUNY’s Harry Van Arsdale Labor College in New York City. He worked as a photographer, furniture mover, carpenter and shop steward (Carpenters Union Local 608), and cab driver.

Under Kernaghan’s directorship, the National Labor Committee has played the leading role in bringing the issue of sweatshop abuses and child labor before the American people, including through a number of highly publicized exposés and campaigns focused on, among others, the GAP, Kathie Lee Gifford’s use of child labor, Wal-Mart, Disney, “P Diddy Combs “Sean John” label. Within the last year, Kernaghan and the NLC have released major reports on human trafficking and involuntary servitude in Jordan; sweatshop abuses and the return of child labor to the Harvest Rich garment factory in Bangladesh; tragic worker injuries and the Kaisi Metals furniture parts plant in China, and child labor at the Legumex frozen vegetable processing plant in Guatemala. Through such report, work with the press and public campaigns to introduce legislation that will finally protect the rights of workers in the global economy, Kernaghan and the NLC have kept the issues of sweatshops, child labor and the need to protect workers fundamental rights squarely on the national agenda.

Kernaghan has led numerous fact-finding missions to Bangladesh, China, Jordan, Mexico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Central America. He and the NLC have hosted U.S. tours of workers from Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, China and Bangladesh. The NLC’s educational videos, Zoned for Slavery (Honduras), Mickey Mouse Goes to Haiti; Something to Hide (El Salvador) and Hidden Face of Globalization have widely used by unions, religious organization and in universities throughout the U.S. and internationally. The NLC’s numerous research reports and many successful international solidarity/corporate campaigns have gained enormous media attention and helped the NLC to develop one of the best social justice networks in the country.