Stop Firestone Call-In Day Thursday

Hundreds of activistsaround the US will participate in a Stop Firestone National Call-In Day Thursday to ring in Liberia's 160th anniversary. "While Firestone rubber workers celebrate their nation's independence, they continue to fight for their own independence from Firestone's 80 years of labor abuses and exploitation," says the International Labor Rights Forum's Campaigns Assistant Tim Newman. Workers, dealing with threats of wage cuts to their already insufficient wages, are routinely forced to have their children work 12-14 hours to meet Firestone's quota demands. "Workers are also exposed to toxic chemicals and live in company housing without running water, indoor toilets or electricity," Newman says. In recent news, Liberian workers took a major step forward in ending Firestone's exploitation earlier this month after the election of eight workers to union positions. The election marks the first time, in 80 years, workers elected their own union representatives. Representatives of the United Steelworkers and the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center -- both actively involved in solidarity work with the Liberian workers -- monitored the election. "The recent election is great but we need to keep the heat on Firestone to end its horrendous treatment of its workers," says Mike Zielinski of the United Steel Workers. Liberian child carrying rubber buckets, photo courtesy of Green Advocates