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NEW (recent additions to this section; top item is most recent addition)
Smoke-free, statewide [Massachusetts, USA] - Boston extended its ban on restaurant smoking to bars less than a week ago, and already the pressure is on the Legislature to do what it has never mustered the gumption to do: ban smoking in workplaces statewide. (editorial, Boston Globe, 11 May 2003)

Smoke screen [UK] - How the tobacco industry makes a packet - And thousands die from passive smoke at work - Medical experts and workers want legal controls on passive smoking at work. The tobacco and hospitality industries do not - and are using lies, junk science and deceit to back their case. (Hazards, May 2003)

New Haven Man Serves Restaurant With Discrimination Suit [USA] - Man Claims Weight Is Reason He Was Not Hired - A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against McDonald's, filed by a New Haven man who claims he was not hired because of his weight. (NBC30, 17 Apr. 2003)

Queensland workers call for end to delays over smokefree pubs and clubs [Australia] - Union, health groups urge expo delegates to protect staff from dangers of second hand smoke (Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, 13 Apr. 2003)

Passive smoking at work kills three people every day [UK] (Trades Union Congress, 8 Apr. 2003)

Websites:

McSpotlight [alternative site commenting on the policies & practices of McDonald's Corporation]

Tobacco Scam: How Big Tobacco uses and abuses the restaurant industry (a project of Stanton A. Glantz, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco)

Youth Career Initiative: Empowering and protecting our children -...a business and community partnership with the international hospitality industry to utilise the global resources of the industry and allied partners to enable young people at risk in poor countries to obtain education and training in the tourism sector [initiative of Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum and the International Hotels and Restaurants Association, being launched in South Africa, India, Brasil, Central America, Mexico, and the Carribean] (Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum)

Other materials:

2003:

Smoke-free, statewide [Massachusetts, USA] - Boston extended its ban on restaurant smoking to bars less than a week ago, and already the pressure is on the Legislature to do what it has never mustered the gumption to do: ban smoking in workplaces statewide. (editorial, Boston Globe, 11 May 2003)

Smoke screen [UK] - How the tobacco industry makes a packet - And thousands die from passive smoke at work - Medical experts and workers want legal controls on passive smoking at work. The tobacco and hospitality industries do not - and are using lies, junk science and deceit to back their case. (Hazards, May 2003)

New Haven Man Serves Restaurant With Discrimination Suit [USA] - Man Claims Weight Is Reason He Was Not Hired - A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against McDonald's, filed by a New Haven man who claims he was not hired because of his weight. (NBC30, 17 Apr. 2003)

Queensland workers call for end to delays over smokefree pubs and clubs [Australia] - Union, health groups urge expo delegates to protect staff from dangers of second hand smoke (Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, 13 Apr. 2003)

Passive smoking at work kills three people every day [UK] (Trades Union Congress, 8 Apr. 2003)

Students urge Taco Bell boycott [USA] -...UA [University of Arizona] students joined a group of campus protests across the country, including some at Cornell University and University of Southern California, to boycott Taco Bell for their connection to a tomato farm in Florida with substandard workers’ rights. (Bob Purvis, Arizona Daily Wildcat, 7 Apr. 2003)

As Bolivian Miners Die, Boys Are Left to Toil - In Latin America, languishing in its worst economic cycle in decades, the use of child labor is becoming more widespread. The children sell knickknacks on streets, work the fields, tend restaurants and, increasingly, work in dangerous jobs in industry and mining. The problem is particularly pervasive in Bolivia, a poor, isolated country of 8.3 million people gripped by political turbulence and recession. An estimated 800,000 children work in this country, with thousands toiling in mines or assisting in the sugar cane harvests, some of the riskiest work. (Juan Forero, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2003)

Friendly's settles claim of discrimination [USA] - A charge four mentally retarded people were refused service at a Friendly's restaurant has led the chain to establish a new anti-discrimination policy and give the Wrentham Developmental Center money for recreational trips. (Laura Crimaldi, MetroWest Daily News, 22 Mar. 2003)

SAS [Students Against Sweatshops] continues push to oust Taco Bell [USA] - Due to labor issues surrounding the people who pick tomatoes for Taco Bell, a Grand Valley student organization is trying to get the restaurant kicked off campus. Allison Kranz, member of Students Against Sweatshops, a fair labor and human rights organization, has been working on the project for over a year now. (Danielle McGillis, Grand Valley Lanthorn, 19 Mar. 2003)

Evidence 'suppressed' on benefits of smoking ban [UK] - Evidence of thousands of lives could be saved each year by outlawing smoking at work has been suppressed by the Government because it fears a ban will prove too expensive for bars, clubs and hotels, anti-smoking campaigners claimed yesterday. (Marie Woolf, Independent [UK], 19 Mar. 2003)

Smoking ban good for hospitality workers' health - union [New Zealand] - A smoking ban in bars, casinos and restaurants would protect hospitality industry workers from proven harm, their union said today. (NZPA, 19 Mar. 2003)

Taco's tomato pickers on slave wages [USA] - Dispute over poor pay by contractors highlights plight of immigrant workers - The American fast food giant Taco Bell has been buying tomatoes produced by slave and sweatshop labour, according to a group of Florida tomato pickers who held a 10-day hunger strike outside the company's headquarters. (Duncan Campbell, Guardian [UK], 17 Mar. 2003)

EEOC [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] sues McDonald's restaurant for disability bias against employee with facial disfigurement -...The suit says that McDonald's discriminated against Samantha Robichaud when it denied her the opportunity for promotion to a management position and constructively discharged her due to a cosmetic disfigurement known as Sturge Weber Syndrome. (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 7 Mar. 2003)

Ethical Supply Chain Management - the story so far - Some of the standards focus on core labour and human rights issues (e.g. Ethical Trading Initiative or SA8000), while others are beginning to tackle wider issues such as terms of trading and criteria for smallholders...Companies are beginning to “green” their supply chain by working on environmental initiatives with their suppliers. [refers to McDonald’s, Cosmair (a subsidiary of L'Oreal), Ford]. (Julian Roche, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 6 Mar. 2003)

Damned if you do… - Social responsibility is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to some companies, says Stephen W. Stanton -...Should McDonald’s be commended for making warm meals both convenient and affordable for even the poorest people in many nations? Alternatively, should the golden arches be torn down for making the United States among the fattest nations in the world, triggering heart disease, diabetes and premature deaths of many Americans?...Ben & Jerry’s is often cited as the model of socially responsible management...However, unlike McDonald’s, Ben & Jerry’s does not make food products with any redeeming nutritional value (Stephen W. Stanton, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 4 Mar. 2003)

Protesters starve for tomato workers [USA] - A group of protesters gathered outside Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine this week as part of a weeklong hunger strike demanding better wages and working conditions for tomato workers in Florida. (Youmi Chun, Daily Bruin [UCLA], 1 Mar. 2003)

International Right to Know Campaign Promotes Disclosure of Global Corporate Impacts - In a recent report, the International Right to Know Campaign outlines the benefits of corporate disclosure of global environmental and social policies and practices...The McDonald's (MCD) case study illustrates the use of child labor in China to produce its Happy Meal toys, the Nike (NKE) case study focuses on labor rights abuses in Indonesia, and the Unocal (UCL) case study discusses human rights abuses in its use of security forces in Burma. The ExxonMobil (XOM) case study alone illustrates several of the environmental as well as human rights abuses that the IRTK guidelines are meant to expose. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 27 Feb. 2003)

Workers demonstrate against US fast-food giant - Activists in the United States are launching a mass demonstration against US fast-food giant Taco Bell on 24 February, protesting its tolerance of labour exploitation by its suppliers...Taco Bell uses tomatoes "produced in what can only be described as sweatshop conditions", the Coalition says...Anti-Slavery International supports the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' call for a boycott of Taco Bell. (Anti-Slavery International, 24 Feb. 2003)

Chinese Toy Manufacturer Labor Standards Found Lacking - New report highlights structural obstacles to toy manufacturer implementation of labor codes of conduct. Nongovernment organizations in Hong Kong released fresh research this week regarding labor issues in southern China's toy manufacturing industry. The research revealed structural flaws in the toy industry that prevent compliance with the voluntary codes of conduct that name brand companies are advocating. Toy manufacturers in China's southern provinces supply almost 70 percent of the world's toys, including products for major U.S. brand name companies such as Mattel, Hasbro, Disney, and fast-food giant McDonald's. (Paddy Manning, SocialFunds.com, 20 Feb. 2003)

Suit: Hooters changing room had peepholes [USA] - A 25-year-old Northfield woman filed a federal sexual harassment lawsuit Tuesday against Hooters in Chicago, alleging that top management did little to prevent male employees from viewing the women's changing area through peepholes in the wall. (Curtis Lawrence, Chicago Sun-Times, 19 Feb. 2003)

Letter To The Editor (and Responses) featuring Paul Hawken and Amy Domini [debate on socially-responsible investment; refers to labour, environmental, health & other social issues; refers to Chiquita, McDonald's, Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Horizon Organic, Coca-Cola]  (GreenMoneyJournal.com, Feb./Mar. 2003)

press release: Coalition Tells World Economic Forum: Building Trust Requires Disclosure - New Report Highlights U.S. Multinationals' Shameful Human Rights, Environmental and Labor Records - a coalition of environmental, development, labor and human rights groups today released a joint report entitled "International Right to Know: Empowering Communities Through Corporate Transparency."  The report documents the irresponsible environmental, labor and human rights practices committed by ExxonMobil, Nike, McDonald's, Unocal, Doe Run, Freeport McMoRan and Newmont Mining. (AFL-CIO, Amnesty International USA, EarthRights International, Friends of the Earth-US, Global Exchange, Oxfam America, Sierra Club, Working Group on Community Right to Know, 22 Jan. 2003)

Statement of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Regarding EEOC V. RD's Drive-In -  the employer instituted a rule attempting to censor their [4 employees] ability to speak their native Navajo language, even though use of the Navajo language allowed many employees to perform their work more efficiently. (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 21 Jan. 2003)

McDonald’s Opens World’s First HFC-Free Restaurant - McDonald’s Denmark has opened the world’s first HFC-free [hydroflurocarbon-free] restaurant in Denmark as part of a new initiative to help reduce the potential effects of climate change on the environment. (GreenBiz.com, 17 Jan. 2003)

2002:

Cracker Barrel Adds Sexual Orientation to Non-Discrimination Policy [USA] (Wayne Besen, Gay Financial Network, 4 Dec. 2002)

Are Big Macs hazardous to children's health? Lawyers have filed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's on behalf of New York children who have suffered health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. (Associated Press, 21 Nov. 2002)

Union [Northern Territory branch of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union] backs smoking ban in clubs and pubs [Australia] - The union has joined health groups and others in a push to ban smoking in such venues Australia-wide by the end of 2003. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 6 Nov. 2002)

Job Exposure Linked to Many Cases of Lung Disease - Nearly 1 in 5 cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)...can be attributed to on-the-job exposures, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health...The investigators found that COPD was twice as common in blue-collar industries such as rubber, plastic, and leather manufacturing; utilities; office building services; textile mill products manufacturing; the armed forces; and food products manufacturing than in white-collar industries...As for specific jobs, the risk was elevated in freight, stock and material handlers, records processing and distribution clerks (which includes mail handlers); sales; transportation-related occupations; machine operators; construction trades and waitresses. (Keith Mulvihill, Reuters, 31 Oct. 2002)

EEOC settles sexual harassment lawsuit against Denny's - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Denny's, Inc. for $135,000 to be paid to an 18-year-old female former employee at a restaurant in Carbondale, Illinois. (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 30 Oct. 2002)

Six Businesses Vie for Top Sustainability Prize - The World Resources Institute has announced that six sustainable enterprises in Latin America are finalists in a competition [AmazonLife S.A., Cafe La Selva, Comercio Alternativo, Empresas ESM, Solar Trade Corporation, TopAir] (GreenBiz.com, 29 Oct. 2002)

Muslim ex-worker sues Chick-fil-A for discrimination [USA] - Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is disputing a Muslim employee's claim that he was fired for religious reasons. (Caroline Wilbert, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 23 Oct. 2002)

Union activists denounce McDonald's Union busting (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 16 Oct. 2002)

US urged to wake up to "coffee with a conscience" -...fair trade beans are slowly making inroads into some of America's favourite coffee emporiums, with them being sold in some 10,000 outlets nationally including retailers such as Starbucks, the world's largest speciality coffee company, the supermarket chain Safeway and the food conglomerate Sara Lee. (Ros Davidson, Reuters, 15 Oct. 2002)

McDonald’s Trade Union activists in Brussels - Today, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will meet with McDonalds' union activists from around the world to discuss the company’s anti-union activities (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 9 Oct. 2002)

McDonald's targeted for Oct 16 worldwide boycott over labour rights - Two international trade union groups have called for a worldwide consumer boycott of McDonald's Corp on Oct 16 because of what they describe as the fast food chain's blatant disregard of labour laws (AFX, 8 Oct. 2002)

Army of Child Labour [UK] - A south Devon pub manager and his bosses have been fined more than £7,000 for employing children illegally. (Torquay Herald Express [UK], 7 Sep. 2002)

New legal campaign for smokefree space in hospitality industry [Australia] - A Western Sydney pub patron is about to take on his local pub in a campaign for smokefree space. (Australian Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union, 3 Sep. 2002) 

Suit accuses House of Blues of discrimination [USA] - A former bartender at the House of Blues restaurant in downtown Chicago has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was discriminated against because of his Islamic faith following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. (Matt O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2002)

13 Companies Earn Perfect Score on First HRC Corporate Equality Index [USA]: Demonstrate Leadership with Regard to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Employees - A total of 13 major U.S. corporations earned 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's first Corporate Equality Index, released today. The index rates large corporations on policies that affect their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors...The 13 companies that scored 100 percent are: Aetna Inc.; AMR Corp./American Airlines; Apple Computer Inc.; Avaya Inc.; Eastman Kodak Co.; Intel Corp.; J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.; Lucent Technologies Inc.; NCR Corp.; Nike Inc.; Replacements Ltd.; Worldspan L.P.; and Xerox Corp...At the other end of the scale, three companies scored zero: CBRL Group Inc./Cracker Barrel; Emerson Electric Co.; and Lockheed Martin Corp. (Human Rights Campaign, 13 Aug. 2002)

Former Buca executive files discrimination suit [USA] - A former senior vice president at Buca Inc. has filed a lawsuit against the restaurant chain and its chief executive, alleging she was told she could not keep her job if she got married. (Ann Merrill, Star Tribune [Minneapolis-St. Paul], 10 Aug. 2002)

Harassment victim sues Burger King after attack [Colorado, USA] - The former general manager of a Longmont fast-food franchise is suing the restaurant's owners, alleging they should have protected her from being racially harassed and assaulted by a customer. (Matt Sebastian, Daily Camera [USA], 7 Aug. 2002)

Campaign Promotes Smoke-Free Environments [USA] -...Prof. Glantz, a tobacco researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, yesterday announced a new Web site, "TobaccoScam," to counter what he calls a 20-year campaign by the tobacco industry to use the restaurant industry as a stalking horse to defeat anti-smoking rules. But Prof. Glantz's attempts to get restaurant trade magazines to accept ads for the site were not entirely successful...the publications changed their minds after Philip Morris sent e-mail messages asking whether they would be running the ads and suggesting that the company's own ad decisions would be affected by the answer. (John Schwartz, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2002)

Bias suit vs. Waffle House dismissed [USA] - A lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against Waffle House has been dismissed, according to a company announcement. (Caroline Wilbert, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6 Aug. 2002)

UNICEF: Coalition Calls On U.N. Agency To Cut Ties With McDonald's - An international coalition of academics and health officials called Wednesday for UNICEF to end its partnership with McDonald's, accusing the corporation of undermining U.N. efforts to promote healthy diets (UN Wire, 2 Aug. 2002)

Fat Americans sue fast food firms - A group of overweight Americans have sued several US fast food giants accusing them of knowingly serving meals that cause obesity and disease. The lawsuit - filed in New York State Supreme Court in the Bronx - says that McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Kentucky Fried Chicken misled customers by enticing them with greasy, salty and sugary food. (BBC News, 25 July 2002)

UNICEF, McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House Charities team up to raise funds for children (UNICEF, 19 July 2002)

Antiquated labor laws fail to protect young workers [USA] -...The government's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates 230,000 teens are injured at work each year [includes reference to following industries: metals, restaurant, construction] (USA Today, 12 July 2002)

Best companies for minorities [USA] - Diversity Leaders -...these companies have not abandoned their commitment to hiring, promoting, and retaining talented employees of all races [lists the 50 top companies; top 10: Fannie Mae, Sempra Energy, Advantica, SBC Communications, McDonald's, PNM Resources, Southern California Edison, United States Postal Service, Freddie Mac, BellSouth] (Fortune, 8 July 2002)

Labor board files complaint against Mission Linen [USA] - The National Labor and Relations Board has issued a complaint against Mission Linen for unfair labor practices...The complaint makes 16 separate charges against the Flagstaff plant, alleging that management at the plant promised wage increases and increased benefits if employees refrained from joining the union. The complaints also allege that management at the plant threatened employees with firing and loss of benefits if they tried to organize. (Arizona Daily Sun, 3 July 2002)

McDonald's and Coke fund healthy eating drive - Fast food companies including McDonald's and Coca-Cola are helping to fund a multimillion pound advertising campaign urging Americans to eat more healthily. In an effort to avoid tobacco-style lawsuits, food giants including Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Heinz are to use internet, TV and press ads to warn consumers that eating too much fast food will make them fat. (Claire Cozens, Guardian [UK], 14 June 2002)

Domini Social Investments Reports Record Shareholder Votes for 2002 Proxy Season - Socially Responsible Firm Says Post-Enron "Crisis of Confidence" Fueled Shareholder Discontent with Corporate Social and Environmental Performance [includes reference to Household International, Cooper Industries, Gap, Walt Disney Co., McDonald's, Nordstrom, Sears Roebuck, Coca-Cola, Pepsi] (Domini Social Investments, 12 June 2002)

The Burger They Love to Hate -...But to others, McDonald's is the archvillian, the target for a host of environmentalists, animal rights activists, vegetarians, trade unionists, and enemies of capitalism. (Eetta Prince-Gibson, Jerusalem Post [Israel], 31 May 2002)

A new model for social auditing -...In future, companies will need to move way from self-promotional corporate social responsibility reports - such as those recently published by Reebok, Nike, McDonald's and Shell - and move towards independent evaluations by qualified third parties. They will have to open up their factories to independent audits that disclose publicly whether conditions have improved. (Elliot J Schrage, formerly senior vice-president of global affairs at Gap, teaches at Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School, in Financial Times, 27 May 2002)

Employees of Charleston, W.Va., Hooters File Harassment Lawsuit [USA] - The owners and managers of the Hooters restaurant in Charleston routinely grope, proposition and abuse the women who work there, a Kanawha Circuit lawsuit filed Monday alleges...The suit also alleges that Cornett was a racist who fired women for giving birth to biracial babies (Lawrence Messina, Charleston Gazette [West Virginia, USA], 21 May 2002)

Union wants smoking banned in London pubs and restaurants [UK] -...Paul Kenny [London Regional Secretary of GMB union] said that the union's members were falling ill due to second-hand smoke. (This is Ealing [UK], 10 May 2002)

Socially responsible corporate partners 'Go Green' in Lebanon - UNDP and UN Volunteers (UNV) are teaming up with several private sector partners [Schtroumpf, a Lebanese restaurant chain, Coca-Cola Middle East, FTML-Cellis, Tetra Pak] in Lebanon on a project to enhance awareness of corporate social responsibility and how it relates to environmental issues. (U.N. Development Programme, 9 May 2002)

McDonald's "Corporate Responsibility" Report a Blueprint for Union-Busting (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 8 May 2002)

McDonald's and Corporate Social Responsibility? The April 14th McDonald's Report on Corporate Social Responsibility is a low water mark for the concept of sustainability and the promise of corporate social responsibility. (Paul Hawken, author of The Ecology of Commerce and Natural Capitalism & founder of Natural Capital Institute, FoodFirst: Institute for Food and Development Policy website, 25 Apr. 2002)

American Retailers May Be Key To Improving Environmental Stewardship of Livestock Feedlots - Retail powerhouses in the food service industry including fast food, grocery, and restaurant chains, should require large livestock feedlots and processing facilities that supply retailers with meat, eggs, and dairy products to meet strict environmental standards, according to a new report issued by the Izaak Walton League. (Izaak Walton League, 24 Apr. 2002)

Domini Social Investments announces 2002 shareholder proposals: Socially Responsible Firm Focuses on Sweatshops and the Environment, Continues Push for Greater Corporate Transparency [refers to resolutions filed and/or dialogue with: Gap; Sears, Roebuck; Disney; McDonald's; Nordstrom; Merrill Lynch; Procter & Gamble; Coca-Cola; Pepsi; Emerson; Cooper Industries; Household International; Johnson & Johnson] (Domini Social Investments, 18 Apr. 2002)

Tasmanian hospitality workers back critical review of anti-smoking laws [Australia]: Tasmanian hospitality workers working in gaming areas at the casinos, pubs and clubs want bans on cigarette smoking because they view the existing situation as an unacceptable threat to their health (Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union, 17 Apr. 2002)

McDonald's feeds appetite for social responsibility: Stung by unfavorable attention it has attracted as a symbol of rampant globalization, McDonald's Corp. is touting its record of promoting animal welfare, protecting tropical rain forests and hiring disadvantaged workers. (Deborah Cohen, Reuters, 16 Apr. 2002)

Union urges workplace smoke ban [Australia]: Research by the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, with the Victorian Cancer Council, has found smoke-exposed workers suffer significant health problems. (Kristine Gough, The Australian, 15 Apr. 2002)

Workplace Cacophony Leads to Compensation [Hong Kong]: Hong Kong's government plans to tackle at least one of these occupational hazards — making employees of mah-jongg parlors eligible for compensation for loss of hearing suffered on the job...In addition to mah-jongg workers, the Hong Kong authorities added three other professions to their list of dangerously noisy jobs: disc jockeys, waiters and bartenders, and workers in slaughterhouses who electrocute pigs. (Mark Landler, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2002)

The New Accountability: Tracking the Social Costs:...Pressure from investors, customers, consumer activists and even some governments is pushing more companies, particularly multinational ones, to report their nonfinancial performance, detailing the impact of their businesses on the environment and human rights... McDonald's...plans to release its first sustainability report the week of April 15...In a move that advocates of social reporting say foreshadows corporate reporting to come, Shell will include its sustainability report in the same binding as its annual financial report for the first time this year, underscoring the message that the two go hand in hand. (Amy Cortese, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2002)

Legal Action Intensifies Against BC [British Columbia, Canada] Labour Minister: "De Facto Discrimination" Charged - Legal action has intensified against the BC Government over Labour Minister Graham Bruce’s secondhand smoke regulation 3/2002 introduced in January. In a document released today, the Labour Minister is charged with “de facto discrimination” which “authorizes and condones the poisoning of hospitality workers by secondhand smoke”. (Airspace Action on Smoking & Health, 19 Mar. 2002)

Protesters take aim at Taco Bell [USA]: The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a grass-roots organization based in Florida, includes farmworkers who say they are incensed at the stagnant wages and poor living conditions of tomato pickers. And Taco Bell, they claim, is one of the nation's largest tomato purchasers. (Dave Anderton, Deseret News [Salt Lake City, USA], 8 Mar. 2002)

Poor farmers taste success - Fairtrade is making headway but is still a tiny part of global trade [refers to coffee industry, cocoa/chocolate industry, Max Havelaar coffee brand, Cafedirect, Starbucks, Sainsbury, Co-op, Day Chocolate Company] (Roger Cowe, Financial Times, 4 Mar. 2002)

Prison Blues; Starbucks, Nike, others profit from inmate labor [at U.S. prisons] - A partial list of companies that have worked within the prison system, directly employed prison workers, or contracted with companies that employ prison workers, either currently or in the past: Allstate, Best Western, Dell Computer, Eddie Bauer, Hawaiian Tropical Products, J. C. Penney, Kmart, Kwalu Inc., Konica, Lockhart Technologies, McDonald's, Merrill Lynch, Microjet, Microsoft, New York, New York Hotel and Casino, Nike, No Fear Inc., Omega Pacific, Parke-Davis, Planet Hollywood, Prison Blues (jeans), Shearson Lehman, Starbucks, Target, TWA, Victoria's Secret, Union Bay, Upjohn, Washington Marketing Group (Erica Barnett, In These Times, 4 Mar. 2002)

Tampa Farmworker protest to begin in Tampa [USA]:...The group is picketing Taco Bell, because it buys most of its tomatoes from Immokalee and has refused to sit down with workers to hear their concerns. (Timothy O'Hara, Herald Tribune [Florida], 25 Feb. 2002)

Starbucks braces for another round with eco-protests: Facing mounting pressure from protest groups, Starbucks Corp. this week affirmed its commitment to environmentally friendly products and fair wages for coffee farmers. (Chris Stetkiewicz, Reuters, 15 Feb. 2002)

Being seen to be green helps corporate image: An FT survey that gave companies plaudits for their environmental record included some surprise choices [includes reference to Body Shop, BP, Royal Dutch/Shell, Toyota, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Vivendi, Honda, Ford, Siemens, GE, IBM, Volkswagen, ExxonMobil, Ben & Jerry's, McDonalds] (Michael Skapinker, Financial Times, 1 Feb. 2002)

Restaurateurs Relish Sustainability [USA]: We [Chefs Collaborative] help restaurants connect with regional producers to purchase local seafood, meat, dairy, and eggs. We are also concerned with green-building materials, living wages for restaurant employees, and reduced energy consumption. (GreenBiz.com, Feb. 2002)

FOOD SAFETY: U.N. Meeting Ends; Experts Call For More Consumer Protection -..."Food-borne diseases pose a considerable threat to human health for the economy of individuals, families and nations," the WHO said, adding that "their control requires a concentrated effort on the part of three principal partners: governments, the food industry and consumers." (UN Wire, 31 Jan. 2002)

Local Utilities and Labor Union Assist Hotel and Restaurant Workers In the Nation's Capital in the Aftermath of 9-11 [Washington, D.C.]: It was an opportunity for hotel and restaurant workers [laid off since 11 September] to apply for discounts on their utility bills...Volunteers from Pepco, Washington Gas, Verizon and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) were on hand to process applications and answer questions regarding utility discount programs. (PRNewswire, 25 Jan. 2002)

U.S. Companies Promote Gender Apartheid in Saudi Arabia: McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Burger King all promote sex discrimination in Saudi Arabia as these restaurants “all have two designated areas: one for families and the other for singles, all males,” said Ann Rozenich, an employee of McDonald’s in the communications office. (Feminist Majority Foundation, Feminist Daily News Wire, 15 Jan. 2002)

Toys Of Misery: A Report On the Toy Industry in China [reports on abusive working conditions, and calls on Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Disney, Mattel, Hasbro & McDonald's to work with their Chinese contractors to clean up the factories, guarantee that labour laws are adhered to, protect workers from unsafe handling of toxic chemicals used in toy making, disclose location of the factories they use] (National Labor Committee, Jan. 2002)

2001:

Child labor law under review [USA]: Local restaurant owner burned by 7 p.m. curfew for workers under 16; group wants it pushed back (Candace Goforth, Akron Beacon Journal [Ohio, USA], 13 Dec. 2001)

Tomato Pickers Boycott Taco Bell for Higher Wages [USA]: Borrowing a tactic from anti-sweatshop campaigns, tomato pickers seek a sustainable living wage by appealing to Taco Bell, the primary purchaser of the tomatoes they pick. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 12 Dec. 2001)

Three restaurants facing child-labour violation fines [USA]: Three chicken restaurants in Akron, Ohio are facing as much as $119,050 in fines for allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work prohibited hours and handle duties that are off-limits to young workers. (Associated Press, in Child Labour News Service, 1 Dec. 2001)

Merton Company Limited [China] - Products: McDonalds, Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, Warner, Paramount, Franklin Mint and DC Comics Factory - Workers work 12.5 hours per day...There is no overtime pay...After all kinds of deductions, the average salary per hour is 13 cents. Many workers have to work 120 days consecutively before getting one day off...To fight for their rights, the workers have organized strikes, tried to form an independent union, and often confronted the factory. In one of such incidents, the local authority sent several hundred armed police to crack down, more than 50 workers were arrested. (Li Qiang, China Labor Watch, Nov. 2001)

Together at Last: Cutting Pollution and Making Money - Some 30 years after the environmental movement took hold, many companies are giving second lives to raw materials, fuels and other products that previously went to landfills. "The notion that environment is just an expensive cost is way out of date," said Glenn T. Prickett, executive director of the Center for Environmental Leadership in Business, a unit of Conservation International created with money from the Ford Motor Company. [examples of projects at Starbucks, Nova Chemicals and Los Angeles International Airport undertaken with only environmental goals in mind, yet yielding unexpected savings or revenue streams] (Claudia H. Deutsch, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2001) 

UK McDonald's fined for under-age jobs: A franchise in Camberley, Surrey, which runs two outlets, admitted 20 offences involving the illegal employment of children under 16. (BBC News, 31 July 2001)

2000:

The business response to HIV/AIDS: impact and lessons learned [Section 5, "Profiles of business activities in response to HIV/AIDS", includes profiles of American International Assurance, Thailand; The Body Shop, Japan; Warsaw Marriott Hotel; Larsen & Toubro, India; Volkswagen do Brasil; Molson Breweries, Canada; Chevron Nigeria; Standard Chartered Bank, UK; International Hotel & Restaurant Association; Anglo Coal, South Africa; Eskom, South Africa; ALMS, Czech Republic; Teddy Exports, India; Bristol Myers Squibb, USA; The Shell Company of Thailand] (Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum in collaboration with UNAIDS and Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS, 2000)