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Date: December 11, 2024
Time: 6 am PST | 9 am EST | 2 pm GMT | 3 pm CET

Speakers include:

• Representatives of Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia
• Lance Compa, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR)
• Deborah Greenfield, Former Deputy Director-General for Policy, International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Jeffrey Vogt, Rule of Law Director, Solidarity Center

Bridgestone Corporation (TSE: 5108) is a Japanese multinational company and the world’s largest tire and rubber manufacturer. Through its Firestone Liberia Inc. subsidiary, Bridgestone operates the world’s largest rubber plantation in Liberia, where it is the country’s biggest private employer.

The Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) is seeking to improve the working conditions and protect the rights of thousands of contract workers at the plantation. This webinar will provide investors with first-hand information on working conditions and labour rights risks at the Firestone Liberia Inc. rubber plantation in Liberia.

Background

In 2007, workers at the Firestone Liberia plantation successfully formed a trade union, the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL). The union achieved a first collective bargaining agreement in 2008,^[1] and has re-negotiated successive collective bargaining agreements since then, gradually improving wages, working conditions and living conditions for plantation workers and their families. However, in 2019, Firestone management took the dramatic step of terminating the employment of more than 2,000 FAWUL-represented employees and required them to sign employment contracts with one of twelve authorized third-party labour contracting agencies in order to keep working.[2]

Contract workers on the Firestone Liberia’s plantation voted to form a union on August 31, 2024, hoping to become Firestone employees represented by FAWUL and address concerns regarding their working conditions. Bridgestone has refused to recognize contract workers as employees of Firestone Liberia and has said that contract workers may not join FAWUL.[3]

This webinar will allow investors to hear from academic experts, legal experts, trade unions and workers about potential financial and reputational risks to Bridgestone and its customers stemming from alleged violations of workers’ rights at the Firestone Liberia plantation.

This webinar is co-hosted by the Global Unions’ Committee on Workers’ Capital (CWC) and the United Steelworkers (USW).

[1] Global Labor Justice, “Firestone Plantation Workers in Liberia Reach Historic First Collective Agreement,” July 8, 2008, at https://laborrights.org/releases/firestone-plantation-workers-liberia-reach-historic-first-collective-agreement

[2] Solidarity Center, “Liberia: Firestone Contract Workers Win Union, Equity,” September 4, 2024. https://www.solidaritycenter.org/liberia-firestone-contract-workers-win-union-equity/.

[3] Rubber and Plastics News, “Firestone Liberia contractors vote to unionize with FAWUL,” September 30, 2024. https://www.solidaritycenter.org/liberia-firestone-contract-workers-win-union-equity/