Training for Change: MHSSN’s Work In Asia and the Americas

1. Training for Change:MHSSN’s Work In Asiaand the Americas Garrett Brown ANROAV Conference Hong Kong - Aug 2007

2. History and Goals • Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network founded in November 1993 by the OHS Section of the American Public Health Association • All-volunteer network of 400+ OHS professionals in the US, Canada and Mexico, and now in Asia

3. Strategic Goals • Informed and active workers able to: • Speak and act in their own name • Recognize OHS hazards and controls • Know and exercise their rights under national and international law • Organize to win improved conditions in OHS and other labor rights

4. Overall Methods • North-South collaboration in the Americas and then Asia • Build OHS capacity of local worker- and community-based groups • Provide information, technical assistance and training

5. Specific Tactics • Plug into existing network of professionals for resources • Plug into existing networks of grassroots organizations for partners and collaborators

6. Specific Tactics • Use TNCs’ claims about CSR to gain access to factories • Use access to plants to increase effectiveness of trainings • Use access to plants to give NGOs/unions opportunities to interact with workers

7. Work in the Americas • Partnership with CJM, SNEEJ, CFO and others on U.S.-Mexico border • Partnership with FAT union in Mexico City • Partnership with Regional Initiative in Central America and the Dominican Republic

8. Funding Sources • U.S. NGOs provide money for “sister organizations” in Mexico • Grant proposals from U.S. foundations • University resources for specific trainings

9. Capacity-Building • 1993-2001: more than a dozen trainings on border and in Mexico City • Develop a core of “peer trainers” – women maquila workers themselves • Economic crisis of 2001 undercuts plan • Revival of activities from 2005 onwards

15. Technical Assistance • Two jointly written complaints filed under NAFTA labor side agreement • Testimony by U.S. OHS professionals at NAFTA complaint hearings • Specific hazard and control information for campaigns against particular employers

17. Using TNC Connections • Two trainings in Guatemala with 3 unions and 8 NGOs from all five Central American countries with field days in Korean-owned garment factories producing for the GAP

20. Work in Asia Same model: • Build local OHS capacity • Gain access for NGOs/unions to factories • Provide technical assistance • Funding from MacArthur Foundation and brands

21. Indonesia: 2000-02 • Local partner: LIPS • Participants: 6 unions and 8 NGOs • Training materials: Indonesian manual turned into OHS booklet by union • Use Nike contact to visit 8,000-worker sports shoe plant • Follow-up training

25. China Projects: 2001-06 • Yue Yuen in Dongguan, August 2001 • Goal: train management and worker members of plant H&S committees • Goal: build the OHS capacity of HK NGOs and their China staff • Goal: provide NGOs with access to factories and workers

26. Yue Yuen - 2001 • Formal MOU between 4 Hong Kong NGOs, 3 brands and 3 factory operators • Local coordinator: CWWN • Funding from MacArthur Foundation and brands

27. YY Training Activities • Manual and materials in Chinese – later used by NGOs and factories • 4-day training inside a 30,000-worker factory producing for adidas with participants from two other Nike and Reebok plants • 3 plants establish H&S committees

41. YY Training Follow-up • NGOs conduct trainings with plant H&S committees • H&S Committee at Kong Tai Shoes coincides with union election • Special issue of IJOEH captures lessons of YY training for other plants

43. China since 2002 • Over time management support for plant H&S committees declines • U.S. government funding more harm than good: • 2003 ICO “migrant workers college” • 2004-05 attempts to do NGO trainings inside China postponed, then cancelled

44. China in 2006 • Research trip to Apache II plant • Study impact of “lean manufacturing” on factory-level OHS • Field experience for CLSN staff IJOEH article coming out in September

45. Ongoing Challenges • Funding for activities • Time and energy for constant fund-raising • “Strings” and agenda-warp from funders • Corrosive impact on relationships with partners, volunteers and staff

46. Ongoing Challenges • Scale and impact of projects • Do the projects reach “enough” people? • Do the projects have any “lasting impact”? • Do the projects make any difference in workers’ lives? • How best to measure the impact?

47. Ongoing Challenges • Ebb and flow of local partners • Political context and security risks in each country or region • Natural turn-over in leadership and staff

48. Key Lessons • OHS as entry point for change • OHS important to workers and is an effective organizing theme locally and “neutral” focus for international campaigns • “Relatively easy” to build NGO/union capacity in OHS • OHS campaign successes “bleed over” to other labor rights issues

49. Key Lessons • Keys for successful trainings: • Use of “popular education” techniques, activities and materials • Access to actual workplaces • Repeat trainings 2-3 times to generate knowledgeable and confident peer trainers

50. Key Lessons • Keys for successful trainings: • Post-training collaboration between participants to share experiences and materials • Post-training outreach to workers and allied organizations