What We Do
ICLR works with labor lawyers and movements around the world and in the United States to develop strategic legal and campaign support and resources on cutting edge labor struggles.
In recent years, ICLR has sent commissions of inquiry to India, Mexico and Columbia. Most recently, ICLR sent an international delegation, with representatives from Japan, South Africa, France, the U.S. and India to investigate the situation of the fired and imprisoned workers of the Maruti Suzuki factories near Delhi, India.
Within the U.S. ICLR organized an international delegation to investigate the denial of labor rights in North Carolina which resulted in the filing of an ILO complaint and a recommendation of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association that North Carolina must develop a framework for collective sector bargaining in accordance with international law. ICLR assisted in the writing of an ILO complaint about New York State and City's denial of internationally guaranteed labor and trade union rights to the Transit Workers Union which also resulted in aa decision by the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association that the New York law banning and penalizing public worker strikes violates fundamental workers’ rights protected by international law.
ICLR continues to support workers in Wisconsin, Michigan and other states where workers face attacks on the rights of public workers and the right to collective bargaining and freedom of association.
ICLR holds roundtables for labor lawyers, legal workers and union strategy directors, most recently on strategies for using international law in public sector worker campaigns. ICLR also holds trainings on international labor law and regularly consults with labor lawyers and activists in the U.S. and around the world.