Assault on Collective Bargaining Illegal, Says International Labor Rights
By Jeanne Mirer and Marjorie Cohn
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The International Commission for Labor Rights (ICLR) sent a notice to the Wisconsin Legislature, explaining that its attempt to strip collective bargaining rights from public workers is illegal. See
http://www.nlg-laboremploy-comm.org/index.php?pr=Solidarity_Page. Anyone who has watched the events unfolding in Wisconsin and other states that are trying to remove collective bargaining rights from public workers has heard people protesting the loss of their “rights.” The ICLR explained to the legislature exactly what these rights are and why trying to take them away is illegal.
The ICLR is a New York based non-governmental organization that coordinates a pro bono network of labor lawyers and experts throughout the world, www.laborcommission.org. It investigates labor rights violations, and issues reports and amicus briefs on issues of labor law.
The ICLR identified the right of “freedom of association” as a fundamental right and affirmed that the right to collective bargaining is an essential element of freedom of association. These rights, which have been recognized worldwide, provide a brake on unchecked corporate or state power.
More:
http://www.zcommunications.org/assault-on-collective-bargaining-illegal-says-international-labor-rights-by-jeanne-mirer