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The holidays are approaching fast, and along with them, the hustle and bustle of shopping and decorating, stressful travel, and long to-do lists. Never fear, we’re here to help you survive the mayhem with our handy gift guide of products union-made in the USA. Click on each of the images in the slideshow (or download the PDF) to find quality gifts for your family, friends, and even the most hard-to-please folks on your shopping list. These days, as more and more jobs get shipped overseas, it’s not easy to know what’s made in America, let alone by union members. With our guide, you can rest easy knowing that your holiday shopping will support good, family-supporting jobs here at home. And that’s a gift every American can enjoy. Read more »         Abigail Paris serves as Program Assistant for the Socially Responsible Business Program.
The eight businesses featured in the report are leaders in the green industry, in terms of both environmental sustainability and labor-management partnerships. Litecontrol manufactured the first architectural lighting systems to be Cradle to Cradle™ certified. Gerding Edlen Development led the first LEED-Platinum certified renovation of a building on the National Register of Historic Places. McGough Construction built the first office building in Minnesota to be certified LEED Platinum. Flambeau River Papers will be the first pulp and paper mill in North America to go fossil fuel free by using a biofuel plant that turns wood byproducts into green diesel fuel to power the mills. This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. Workers and communities across the country honor the memory of the 146 women and children who perished as a result of locked doors and employer negligence. In 1911 outrage toward such callous disregard for workers galvanized Americans to press for better working conditions, and today, the 100th anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of workplace safety. Read more » The union workers who make Philips lighting fixtures in Sparta, Tennessee, have been doing things right for over 40 years. In fact, their plant was named one of North America’s 10 best by Industry Week Magazine in 2009—and even won Philips’ own “lean” manufacturing award last fall. But now Philips Global CEO Gerard Kleisterlee wants to send those good, American jobs to Mexico—leaving 275 workers jobless and an entire community devastated. Read more » In recent weeks, anti-union politicians across the country have been attacking workers’ rights in the name of mustering up funds to curb state deficits. But for all their talk of shared sacrifice and merit-based pay, they seem to have overlooked a reality that working families know all too well. Read more » Abigail Paris serves as Program Assistant for the Socially Responsible Business Program. In 2008, a financial meltdown triggered a deep recession, arguably the deepest recession to face the European Union (EU). Unlike in many other places in the world, the EU—through the collaboration of its employers, unions and governments—was able to avoid sky rocketing unemployment and emerge from the recession relatively unscathed. On March 3, 2010, the European Commission released a report, entitled Industrial Relations in Europe 2010, which highlighted how labor-management partnerships helped the EU adapt to the post-recession world.
There’s a lot of hype about “going green.” But we must ensure that as we pursue alternative energy and sustainability we are protecting our greatest resource: America’s workers. This year’s Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference explored ways to incorporate workers’ rights into green initiatives. At the conference, American Rights at Work hosted two panels, highlighting employee protection within the agriculture and construction industries. Kara Kahley is American Rights at Work’s Socially Responsible Business Intern. It has been said that “Doing well by doing good” is the new M.O. of the business world. Companies are realizing that there’s more to business than profit, and management education is beginning to reflect that perspective. Traditionally, management education has focused primarily on creating shareholder value, but this too is changing. Social responsibility was once a trendy offering only at certain schools, but it is now becoming mainstream. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premiere accrediting body for management education, has begun to push for more emphasis on ethics and sustainability in its schools’ programs. Additionally, the presence of Net Impact, a student organization for corporate social responsibility, is rapidly expanding. Read more » The American Rights at Work blog team is about to close up shop for the holidays. But before we do, here’s a roundup of some of our favorite posts from 2010, from most to least recent. Happy Holidays! Read more » |
Posts Tagged ‘socially responsible business’
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