Consumer advocates urge USDA to declare ‘big six’ E. coli STECs adulterants in beef – National Consumers League

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July 14, 2011

 

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — STOP Foodborne Illness (STOP, formerly S.T.O.P. – Safe Tables Our Priority), the National Consumers League (NCL), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention, applauded today the announcement by Beef Products, Inc. (BPI) to voluntarily expand the company’s “hold and test” program to include the six additional strains of E. coli identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as harmful pathogens in the food supply. The groups expressed hope that BPI’s decision to begin voluntarily testing and holding for other pathogenic E. coli strains in addition to E. coli O157:H7 will inspire the Obama administration to take additional steps to protect public health and cause the meat industry to cease their opposition to ensuring a higher level of protection for consumers.

FSIS has proposed declaring these strains as adulterants and requiring industry to sample and test for these pathogens and hold the product until final laboratory results declare the product has no detectable level of E. coli O157:H7 and these other six pathogenic strains of E. coli. The Office of Management and Budget has sidelined the proposal since January 2011.

“We now know that other strains of E. coli produce the powerful Shiga toxin, are similar to E.coli O157:H7 in virulence, and are much more prevalent than we once thought.” said Chris Waldrop, Director of Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Institute.  “It’s time for the Obama Administration to declare these additional six strains adulterants, require robust sampling protocols by the entire industry and require all companies to hold product from commerce until a negative test result is determined.”

The six strains of non-O157:H7 Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, or non-O157 STEC identified by the CDC as responsible for the majority of the non-O157 illnesses and deaths are O26, O111, O103, O45, O121 and O140.  These strains, like O157, have the ability to cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) which is life-threatening.  Unlike other pathogens, such as Salmonella, it only takes a very small number of these STEC organisms to cause illness.

“These strains of E. coli have been identified for years as causing serious illness and even death to consumers.  We have been pressing FSIS, members of Congress and anyone else who will listen about the need to keep these pathogens out of the food supply,” states STOP Foodborne Illness president, Nancy Donley.  “What is it going to take to get FSIS to do the right thing and declare these six identified strains as adulterants and enact programs and standards to prevent them from reaching the marketplace?  We are encouraged to see a company like BPI taking the bull by the horns and independently test for these killer pathogens before being required by government, but we need the entire industry involved and that will only happen when government mandates it.”

“We appreciate that one member of the beef industry is taking a leadership role,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League.  “BPI is well equipped to do this, and will be able to apply their experience with sampling and hold and test for E. coli O157:H7 with the Big Six STECs.”

“A robust sampling program is essential to effective verification that food safety controls are working,” says Sarah Klein, an attorney with Center for Science in the Public Interest.  “We’re pleased that the company is expanding their testing to include additional E. coli hazards and urge them and FSIS to consider antibiotic-resistant Salmonella known to cause illness as well. Consumers deserve protection from all of these hazards, and companies should pursue every approach to provide it.”

“Non-O157 STECs can have a significant public health impact. Many of those sickened will suffer secondary life-long medical complications. We must start tracking and condemning products contaminated with E. coli strains that cause human illness,” notes Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention’s CEO, Barbara Kowalcyk.  “Unfortunately, a USDA proposal to declare the Big Six as adulterants in meat and poultry products has languished in the White House Office of Management and Budget. We have the technology to test for these pathogens. FSIS can and should immediately begin monitoring for the Big Six in meat and poultry products.”

While the consumer groups do not endorse companies or products and are not familiar with the specific test to be used nor the sampling protocol, the groups are pleased that BPI is taking this step to hold and test for non-O157:H7 STECs and encourage others in the industry to do the same. The consumer groups strongly urge OMB to finalize FSIS’ proposal to immediately declare the “Big Six” non-O157 STEC adulterants and put a robust and meaningful testing regiment in place.

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The Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing foodborne illness through research, education, advocacy and service.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a non-profit consumer advocacy and education organization that focuses largely on food safety and nutrition issues. It is supported principally by the 850,000 subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants.

The Consumer Federation of America is a nonprofit association of nearly 300 consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

The National Consumers League is the nation’s oldest consumer organization, representing consumers on marketplace and workplace issues.

STOP Foodborne Illness is a national nonprofit public health organization dedicated to the prevention of illness and death from foodborne pathogens by advocating for sound public policy, building public awareness and assisting those impacted by foodborne illness.

Contact:

Barbara Kowalcyk, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention, 724-58-0767

Sarah Klein, Center for Science in the Public Interest, 202-332-9110

Chris Waldrop, Consumer Federation of America, 202-797-8551

Sally Greenberg, National Consumers League, 202-835-3323

Nancy Donley, STOP Foodborne Illness, 773-269-6555

NCL statement on Senate Commerce Committee Cramming Report and recent FCC proposal to address mystery fees – National Consumers League

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July 13, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The following statement is attributable to National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

Chairman Rockefeller’s report on the impact of cramming on landline phone bills confirms our fears about the extent of the problem. As reported by the Federal Communications Commission, this is an issue that touches tens of millions of households, with few even aware that they are victims. At a time of economic distress, it is unacceptable that billions of dollars in cramming charges are being siphoned out of consumers’ pockets. That the nation’s telecommunications carriers were aware of the problem, and indeed may have profited from this fraud belies the futility of voluntary industry efforts to address cramming.

The FCC’s proposed rules to increase disclosure requirements and require free third-party billing blocking do not go far enough. For more than a decade, consumers have been asked to rely on weak regulatory safeguards and voluntary industry standards for protection from cramming. As Chairman Rockefeller’s report vividly illustrates, these half-measures are not working.

Third-party billing on landline phone bills is a relic of a previous telecommunications era that scam artists are exploiting to steal billions from consumers. We see few legitimate reasons why a consumer would need to have a charge for a product or service billed on a landline phone account. It is for these reasons that NCL is calling on Congress to pass national legislation modeled on Vermont’s recently enacted law that prohibits third-party billing on landline phone accounts, with few exceptions.

Cramming fraud has gone on long enough and cost consumers far too much. Where federal regulators and the telecommunications industry have failed in protecting consumers, Congress must act.

NCL’s letter to Chairman Rockefeller regarding this issue is available here.

Consumer who have been victims of cramming fraud are encouraged to file a complaint with NCL’s Fraud Center at www.fraud.org.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL endorses Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act – National Consumers League

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July 7, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) today announced its endorsement Representative Anna Eshoo’s Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act. NCL applauded the bill’s pro-consumer goal of increasing transparency in the market for “4G” mobile broadband service.

“Consumers are relying more than ever – and in some cases exclusively – on their mobile broadband devices to get online,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Confusing coverage maps, data caps, and pricing plans full of ‘mouseprint,’ too often leave the average consumer at the mercy of wireless carriers’ marketing hype. Representative Eshoo’s bill would do much to provide some sorely-needed clarity for shoppers in this market.”

The wireless broadband market is awash in technical jargon like LTE, WiMAX and HSPA+, all claiming to provide “4G” service. Representative Eshoo’s bill would help consumers make sense of these new technologies by requiring carriers to provide consumers with important information, including guaranteed minimum data speeds, network reliability, coverage area maps and pricing. This information would be made available on bills and at the point of sale to help consumers more effectively comparison shop and evaluate the level of service they are receiving. The bill would also require the Federal Communications Commission to review the speed and prices of the top 4G wireless data providers to help consumers better compare services.

“Ubiquitous, always-on mobile broadband access is becoming indispensable to millions of consumers,” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. “It’s high time that consumers get some measure of certainty that what’s being advertised to them is what they will get when they sign up for service. Representative Eshoo’s bill would go a long way towards giving consumers that peace of mind.”

NCL’s letter of support to Representative Eshoo is available by clicking here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on Supreme Court decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes et al – National Consumers League

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June 20, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

The following statement is attributable to National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

The Supreme Court today continued its disappointing assault on the interests of consumers and workers. As in its previous decisions in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion and AT&T v. Hulteen, a divided Court in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes et al found that the rights of consumers and workers matter less than those of the nation’s largest corporations.

NCL condemns this decision. Workers must have access to the courts to collectively pursue redress of grievances. We concur with Justice Ginsburg’s dissent, where she noted that this decision “leads the court to train its attention on what distinguishes individual class members, rather than on what unites them.”

The courts are the ultimate protector of consumer and worker rights against the excesses of big business. In this role, the highest court in the country today failed. We call on the Congress to seek a legislative remedy to this decision, restore workers’ protections from discrimination and allow for easier collective access to the court system.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

American public: Young farmworkers deserve equal protection of child labor laws – National Consumers League

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June 16, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The vast majority of American consumers do not believe that 12- and 13-year-old children should be allowed to perform arduous agricultural work for long hours in the fields, and would not allow their own children to do commercial farm work at the young ages the government currently allows, according to a survey released today. The survey (questionnaire | tabular data | methodology), commissioned by the National Consumers League (NCL), the organization largely responsible for passing many of the nation’s first child labor laws in the early 19th century , reveals that 81 percent of consumers—four out of five—agree that child labor laws should protect children equally, regardless of the industry they work in. Two in three survey respondents “strongly agreed” that protections should be equal. Only 1 in 7 favored lesser protections for children working in agriculture.

According to the survey of 1,011 adults fielded June 3-6, 2011 by ORC International, only 3 percent of those with children in the house would let their own children under the age of 14 work more than 40 hours a week in the fields. Yet, federal law currently allows farmworker children to work an unlimited number of hours in the fields (outside of school hours), and many farmworker children report working as many as 60 or 70 hours a week.

Many migrant farmworker children work long hours in the fields alongside their parents, harvesting fruits and vegetables. The children often begin working at the age of 12 because of exemptions in U.S. child labor law that excludes the agriculture industry from many labor protections.

The vast majority surveyed—83 percent—agreed that it is “not okay” for children as young as 12 and 13 to work long hours in the fields. Only 1 in 8 surveyed—and only 1 in 10 female respondents—said that the practice is okay. When asked what age they would let their own children work in the fields after school and during weekends, only 13 percent—or 1 in 8 respondents—said that they would allow a child under the age of 14 to work—a common practice in the agriculture industry today.

When it comes to working more than 40 hours in the fields, the majority of those with children in (64 percent) said that they would only let their children work if they were over 18.

“These survey results demonstrate that the public feels strongly that young children should not be toiling in the fields,” said Sally Greenberg, the Executive Director of NCL and a Co-chair of the NCL-coordinated Child Labor Coalition. “Legislation that would provide much needed protections for farmworker kids has languished for more than a decade. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard has tirelessly tried to remedy this tragic problem through the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE), which would remove the exemptions that threaten the health, safety, and education of these children. The passage of the CARE Act is long overdue.”

The survey also confirmed that Americans seem concerned that the food they purchase is not tainted by child labor. Nearly 6 in 10 survey respondents—59 percent—disagreed that “it is acceptable for a child under 14 to work for wages in the fields, harvesting produce to be sold in grocery stores.” An even larger percentage—67 percent—said that the United States should not import products made or harvested by children under the age of 14.

Americans expressed their desire that adult farmworkers earn a livable wage—87 percent agreed that the men and women who harvest fruits and vegetables should receive a sustainable wage. Despite this finding, government data suggests that most farmworker families get by on $17,000 a year—about one-third of the living wage calculated for a family of four in typical farmworker community (data based on Eagle Pass, Texas).

“If Americans knew what truly dangerous workplaces farms are, they would be even more outraged by this form of child labor,” said Reid Maki, Coordinator of the CLC and NCL’s Director of Social Responsibility and Fair Labor Standards. “One of our main concerns is the impact pesticides might be having on these kids who work long hours in treated fields, often with little or no protection.”

For several years, NCL has listed “harvesting work in agriculture” as one of the five most dangerous jobs for teen workers in an annual report on teen occupational safety. Currently, U.S. law allows children as young as 12 years old to legally work in commercial agriculture, while children of the same age are prohibited from working in nearly all other industries (with only a few exceptions such as delivering newspapers). An estimated 400,000 children work in America’s fields, often working 8-, 9-, and 10-hour backbreaking shifts in intense heat, often exposed to pesticide application, runoff, and drift. While only about eight percent of youth are employed in agriculture, the industry comprises 40 percent of child worker fatalities.

NCL, which coordinates the 28-member CLC, commissioned the national random-sample telephone survey to gain an understanding of consumers’ views on child labor in American commercial agriculture. The margin of error of the phone survey sample of 1,011 adults is plus or minus 3 percent. Smaller subgroups have larger error margins.

For additional information regarding the survey results, visit www.nclnet.org.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on introduction of ‘Location Privacy Protection Act of 2011’ – National Consumers League

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June 15, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, National Consumers League Executive Director:

“Requiring consumer notification of location-based tracking is a common-sense response to the explosive growth of this technology.  The millions of smartphones in consumers’ pockets are incredibly powerful devices when used properly.  However, the potential for misuse of location information and the potential harm to consumers requires prudent rules of the road.  At a minimum, consumers should be made aware that their location is being tracked and given more control over how that information is used.  We are pleased to see this bill introduced and applaud Senators Franken and Blumenthal for their efforts to protect consumers in the digital age.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

CFA, NCL team up to educate public on avoiding fake check scams – National Consumers League

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June 14, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – Fake check scams, in which consumers are lured into accepting genuine-looking phony checks or money orders and sending cash somewhere in return, come in many forms, but experts at Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the National Consumers League (NCL) say that it’s easy to spot and avoid these scams – if you know what to look for. New tips, Five Things You Should Know to Avoid Fake Check Scams, have been released by the nonprofit consumer organizations today to help consumers identify the scam in its various forms and avoid losing their money. Along with the tips, CFA is releasing new videos about the most common fake check scams, the sweepstakes/lottery and work-at-home versions. “The videos use humor to make a serious point,” said Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection at Consumer Federation of America. “These scams can cost you thousands of dollars, and once you’ve sent cash to a crook, it’s likely gone for good.”

“Fake check scams are an equal-opportunity fraud,” said John Breyault, Director of the National Consumers League’s Fraud Center. “Scam artists are savvy, networked, and know every button to push to get consumers from all walks of life to fall for their schemes.” Fake check scams remain the top complaint to NCL’s Fraud Center, a clearinghouse for reports about telemarketing and Internet fraud. A statistical analysis of complaints from 2009, 2010, and January through May 2011 show that people between the ages of 18 and 30 are much more likely to be targeted for the work-at-home version of the scam than other age groups, while those who are 66 and older are far more likely to be targeted for the sweepstakes/lottery version. In the work-at-home scenarios, consumers are supposedly hired as “account managers” to process payments for a company or as “mystery shoppers.” The sweepstakes/lottery version hooks consumers with phony notices informing them that they have won millions and asking them to pay taxes or other fees from the “advance” that they receive in order to claim the rest of their money.

In nearly all of the cases in which consumers reported to NCL that they had sent the money to the fake check scammers, they did so by using a money transfer service. “Con artists want the funds to be sent to them via a money transfer service because it’s quick, it’s cash, and it’s hard to trace,” said Grant. “You should only use these services to send money to people that you’ve met in person and known for a long time.”

”In difficult economic times, many consumers are on the lookout for creative ways to make ends meet, such as home-based business opportunities. Others may be desperate enough to let their guard down and be tempted by offers they wouldn’t otherwise consider,” said Breyault. “Scam artists take advantage of this to rob consumers blind. Educating consumers about this crime is the first step in taking on the fraudsters.”

CFA and NCL warn that:

  • If someone gives you a check or money order and asks you to send money somewhere in return, it’s a scam.
  • A familiar company name doesn’t guarantee that it’s legitimate.
  • The check or money may be fake even if your bank or credit union lets you have the cash.
  • When the check or money order bounces, you will have to pay the money back to your bank or credit union.
  • Sending money using a money transfer service is like sending cash – once the crook picks it up you can’t get it back from the service.

The full tips and the new videos are on www.consumerfed.org/fakecheckscams and www.nclnet.org. The videos were produced with support from Western Union. Visitors to the www.consumerfed.org/fakecheckscams Web site will also find CFA’s brochure about fake check scams, Don’t Become a Target, in English and Spanish, and other materials from CFA and other sources. In addition to NCL’s www.fraud.org, NCL operates a Web site specifically about fake check scams, www.fakechecks.org. There consumers can take a quiz to see how well they can spot these frauds, send an ecard to warn others, and find other helpful information.

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About CFA and NCL

The Consumer Federation of America is a nonprofit association of nearly 300 consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL lauds CPSC action to develop national table saw safety standards – National Consumers League

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June 14, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The nation’s oldest consumer organization, the National Consumers League (NCL), today lauded a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) vote to move the agenda forward on achieving a national safety standard for table saws.

According to CPSC’s own data, consumers suffer 40,000 table saw injuries each year, 4,000 of which are finger amputations. That translates into 10 finger amputations every day for those using table saws. In November of 2010, NCL sent a letter to the Chairman and each of the other four CPSC Commissioners, stating that: “NCL strongly urges the Commission to take action toward a performance standard for table saw safety.” The letter and accompanying press release are highlighted below.

NCL letter to CPSC

NCL press release

NCL’s letter noted that there is technology currently available from a company called SawStop that provides nearly complete protection from injuries from table saws. That technology uses sensors to detect the electrical impulse in a finger or other body part—distinguishing flesh from a piece of wood, for example—and drops the blade down in a fraction of a second below the saw to keep it from injuring the user. SawStop has more than 30,000 of these safely-designed saws in the market today—many in high school shop classes—and the company has testimonials from customers of more than 1,000 known “saves”—consumers who have written and sent pictures showing that they have been spared serious injury because of the safety design.

“What SawStop’s table saw design proves is that it is possible to make table saws safe,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. NCL’s November 2010 letter urged the CPSC to move forward with a technology-neutral performance standard that simply provides a safe result —i.e., no injuries to users of table saws—while not favoring one technology over another. This CPSC vote accomplishes that crucial first step.

“We are greatly encouraged by the CPSC’s 4-1 vote in favor of its 2011 Operating Plan, which includes the goal of having the CPSC staff prepare a briefing package with an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding table saw safety,” said Greenberg. “With table saws, clearly we have a pattern of injury, we have technology to prevent the injuries, and we can do so for a reasonable cost. The CPSC is greatly advancing the cause of protecting the 40,000 consumers each year who are injured unnecessarily by table saws. We applaud the Chairman for her leadership and look forward to working with her and the Commission in the months to come,” Greenberg said.

The CPSC documents and statement can be found below:

The 2011 Operating Plan is now available on the CPSC Web site – it can be found here. Table saws are mentioned on page 31, as follows:

Table Saws In 2006, the CPSC granted a petition to proceed with a rulemaking process that could result in a mandatory safety standard for table saws to reduce the risk of blade contact injury, and directed staff to draft an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR). The Commission did not vote on the ANPR before it lost its quorum. However, the Commission directed staff to initiate a project to collect additional information on emerging injury-reduction technology to prevent and reduce blade-contact njuries, which has been ongoing. In 2011, the CPSC released an updated study based on data from CPSC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) that estimated there were 66,900 emergency department treated injuries related to table/bench saw operator blade contact in the United States during the calendar years 2007–2008.

Goal: In 2011, staff will prepare for Commission consideration, a briefing package with an ANPR regarding a performance standard for table saws.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

CLC Press Release: More progress needed to reduce child labor; Urgent action required on Uzbekistan, Domestic Workers Convention, and U.S. farmworker children – National Consumers League

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June 10, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—As World Day Against Child Labor on June 12 approaches, the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) is alerting the public that more than 200 million children still toil around the world, often in dangerous jobs that threaten their health, safety, and education.

Here in the United States, the CLC is applauding the anticipated re-introduction of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE), which Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) plans to sponsor once again next week. The legislation would close loopholes that permit the children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers to work for wages when they are only 12 and 13 years old, often in harsh conditions—10- to 12-hour days of bending over and performing repetitive tasks in 90- to 100-degree heat.

“It’s time to level the playing field by closing these loopholes, which go all the way back to 1938, when the Fair Labor Standards Act was introduced,” said CLC Co-Chair Sally Greenberg, the Executive Director of the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy organization that has worked to eliminate abusive child labor since its founding in 1899. “We must offer these children the same protections that all other American kids enjoy.”

“Working migrant children pay a heavy price educationally for their labor,” said Antonia Cortese, a Co-Chair of the CLC  and the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, which represents 1.5 million public service employees. “Many farmworker children leave school before the school year ends and return after it begins. The constant travel and work wears many children out. They struggle to catch up academically, but for many it’s a losing battle—and more than half never graduate high school.”

 

The CLC also joins its member organization, Human Rights Watch, and other advocacy groups in urging the adoption of the Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers  to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable child workers—the estimated 15 to 30 million children who perform domestic duties in homes around the world. Many domestic workers are girls and begin work as early as age 6 and work up to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many are vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse.

On June 16th, members of the International Labor Organization (ILO) will vote on the convention, which will establish the first global standards for domestic workers. “Instead of being in school, millions of girls work for extremely long hours and little pay, at risk of abuse and invisible to the outside world,” said Jo Becker, Children’s Rights Advocate at Human Rights Watch in a statement issued today. “This Convention would require governments to include these child domestic workers under their child labor laws and to step in to prevent them from being exploited.”

The proposed ILO Convention would require governments to protect domestic workers from violence and abuse, and provide equal treatment with other workers in working hours, overtime compensation, and daily and weekly rest periods. It would oblige governments to set a minimum age for domestic workers and to ensure that work by child domestic workers above that age does not interfere with their education. An accompanying recommendation urges governments to limit strictly the working hours of child domestic workers and to prohibit domestic work that would harm their health, safety, or morals. The CLC also joins its member organization, the International Labor Rights Forum, as well as Anti-Slavery International and other groups in calling for an international investigation to expose the use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. According to Human Rights Watch, a high-level ILO monitoring mission would be the necessary first step in providing an independent credible assessment of child labor in the Uzbekistan. Human rights groups have called for such an investigation numerous times in the past and recently made the request again at the ILO’s annual conference currently taking place in Geneva.

Each autumn in Uzbekistan, schools are closed down and hundreds of thousands of children are forced out of their classrooms and into the fields to pick the cotton. Uzbekistan, the world’s third largest exporter of cotton, officially denies the use of forced child labor in its country, and has so far failed to invite an ILO monitoring mission. Uzbek officials did pledge on June 6 to have a government controlled trade union act as an official monitor. The ILO’s Committee on Application of Standards, in a decision issued on Wednesday 8 June after an earlier hearing, questioned the credibility of Uzbekistan’s proposal and also called for the government to accept a high level ILO monitoring mission.

Speaking in Geneva, Brian Campbell, Policy Director at International Labor Rights Forum, and the Chair of the CLC International Committee said: “Uzbekistan’s intention to monitor its own harvest for a problem it denies is ludicrous. Such monitoring cannot be considered credible in a country where independent civil society is controlled and critical media muzzled. If the government has nothing to hide then it should allow the ILO access during the harvest.” The European Union, a major destination for Uzbek cotton, currently grants preferential trading access to exports from Uzbekistan under a program to support developing economies. However, advocates argue this should be suspended in cases of serious human rights violations. “It’s time for Uzbekistan to let independent monitors in or face trade consequences,” said CLC co-chair Sally Greenberg.

About the Child Labor Coalition

The Child Labor Coalition is comprised of 28 organizations, representing consumers, labor unions, educators, human rights and labor rights groups, child advocacy groups, and religious and women’s groups. It was established in 1989, and is co-chaired by the National Consumers League and the American Federation of Teachers. Its mission is to protect working youth and to promote legislation, programs, and initiatives to end child labor exploitation in the United States and abroad. For more information, please call CLC Coordinator Reid Maki at (202) 207-2820 [reidm@nclnet.org].

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NCL: Americans deserve a strong CFPB led by a consumer champion – National Consumers League

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May 27, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer organization, today announced its intention to support the appointment of Professor Elizabeth Warren as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

“The long-term viability of the CFPB is essential in order to protect consumers from those who would engage in predatory behavior in the financial services industry,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the League.

“NCL calls on lawmakers to reject several recent proposals to weaken the agency’s ability to protect consumers and to support the appointment of a strong director to lead the agency,” said Greenberg.

NCL supports the appointment of a strong consumer advocate to direct the CFPB. There is no more capable individual to lead the bureau than its current head, Elizabeth Warren. Professor Warren is a long-time consumer champion and the CFPB itself is her brainchild. Her permanent appointment and confirmation by the Senate is long overdue.

The League also believes that the Dodd-Frank Act provides for sufficient oversight of the agency. Under the Act, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) can veto any decision made by the CFPB with a two-thirds majority vote. If H.R. 1315 becomes law, the same regulatory body that was so lax in overseeing the loan and credit card practices of banks that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis will be able to override the CFPB with a simple majority. Giving the FSOC more power over the CFPB would place power in the hands of those who have a poor track record of preventing financial crises.

Finally, NCL believes the CFPB needs a single director to act effectively. H.R. 1121 seeks to replace the director of the CFPB with a board of five commissioners. Such a politicized leadership structure is unnecessary given the many statutory restrictions on the CFPB’s power.

Professor Elizabeth Warren and a strong CFPB are very much needed to protect consumers from the predatory practices of certain industry actors that brought the nation’s economy to the brink of ruin. Professor Warren has stated time and again her belief that regulation is best used when there is no better alternative. Existing oversight authority is more than adequate to prevent the CFPB from abusing its mandate. Just as importantly, the ability of the agency to protect consumers in a robust manner without undue political interference must be preserved.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.