This May Day, workers’ human rights are under attack around the globe and here in the U.S. We’ve rounded up a selection of ways to support meaningful protections as well as inspiring efforts to win binding, enforceable agreements by our partners around the globe.

Petition to Free Detained Farmworker Leader

Immigrant farmworkers in Vermont have been targeted this month with detentions by US Border Patrol. Hundreds of community members have rallied in an emergency mobilization after eight dairy workers were arrested in their homes. Two weeks before this mass detention, longtime Migrant Justice member Arbey Lopez was arrested on his way to work at the same farm. Arbey is one of the farmworkers who helped launch the Milk with Dignity program, even leading an historic 13-mile march to demand rights for farmworkers.

Sign the petition to free Arbey and the eight other detained farmworkers now!

Twelve Years since the Rana Plaza collapse

This year marks the 12th anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1100 workers. While the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry has made factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan much safer, there are still factories not covered by the program where workers are at risk. Brands like Wrangler, Amazon, and Ikea are refusing to join this life-saving worker-driven social responsibility program. Actions by activists and consumers, including thousands of petition signatures, convinced Wrangler’s main competitor Levi’s to sign the Accord last year; it’s time for Wrangler to follow suit. Add your name to the petition now!

Podcast: How Private Equity is Enabling Wage Theft in Supply Chains

A new podcast featuring PDR’s Anna Canning digs into Lucky Brand’s role in severance theft at Industrial Hana, a Guatemalan garment factory that closed without paying workers what they’re owed. You can learn more about the case and Lucky Brand’s refusal to take action here.

New report highlights Worker-driven Social Responsibility to Combat Forced Labor

The Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking’s new report, “No Country Is Immune: Working Together to End Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking,” highlights the Worker-Driven Social Responsibility (WSR) model as a crucial solution to combat forced labor and human trafficking. The report also critiques traditional corporate social audits and gives examples of major disasters and widespread abuses that audits have failed to detect or prevent. 

Workers in Spanish Produce Industry Explore Worker-driven Social Responsibility Model

This spring, WSRN staff facilitated an international exchange with farmworkers in Spain and various representatives of the WSR movement to learn about the current conditions for workers who pick and put produce on the tables of millions of households across Europe. 

Workers shared their demands and how the current structures and systems have failed to protect the dignity and rights of these workers. These workers are now exploring possibilities for adapting the WSR model to their industry.