Bureau of International Labor Affairs
Encyclopedia
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) is an operating unit of the United States Department of Labor
which manages the Department's international responsibilities. According to its mission statement:
“ILAB conducts research on and formulates international economic, trade, immigration, and labor policies in collaboration with other U.S. Government agencies and provides international technical assistance in support of U.S. foreign labor policy objectives.”
ILAB promotes the economic security and stability of United States workers in international affairs and provides advice and statistics on policy decisions which have U.S. labor concerns. The Bureau also represents the United States at trade negotiations and at international bodies like the International Labor Organization (ILO), the World Trade Organization
(WTO), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It also provides technical assistance to foreign countries in the interest of benefiting the United States and additionally works with other government agencies to combat child labor
and human trafficking
abroad and in the United States.
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs is located in the Francis Perkins Building, Room C-4325, 200 Constitution Avenue
, NW Washington, DC 20210. It is currently under the direction of Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Sandra Polaski.
Harry S. Truman
under the direction of Lewis B. Schwellenbach
as a means to formally institutionalize the international directives of the Department of Labor. Since its creation, ILAB has helped pass the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, aided the introduction of the United States of America into the International Labor Organization (ILO), and administered the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), the portion of the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) which dealt with trade relations and required the establishment of a department in each member state to provide information about labor conditions in that country.
directed the Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich
at the time, to identify foreign industries and countries which export goods to the United States which were produced using child labor. Responsibility for this project was given to ILAB which published the first of its reports on the subject: The Sweat and Toil of Children: The Use of Child Labor in American Imports.
In January 2001, President Bill Clinton
signed Executive Order 13126 which prohibited the purchase of items which were produced by forced or indentured labor. It also authorized the Department of Labor to compile a list of items and their respective countries which would be banned. This fell under the purview of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. The current list, as compiled by ILAB, consists of 11 products including bamboo, beans, rice, rubber, shrimp, and sugarcane. All of which originate in Burma with one additionally produced in Pakistan. As of 2004, ILAB has spent more than $250 million to combat child labor since 1995.
On April 10, 2009, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs announced a letter of intent to "Fund International Child Labor Elimination Projects in Fiscal Year 2009" this involves the awarding of merit-based "cooperative agreement awards" to organizations seeking to fund projects to combat child labor through education. It is intended that $20 million be budgeted for this purpose. These efforts will be focused in the countries of Guatemala, Indonesia, Nepal, and Rwanda.
when the Department of Labor taught German
trade unionists to assist in European reconstruction efforts.
In 1975, ILAB worked with the Government of Saudi Arabia
to develop a vocational training program and in 1989, after the passage of the Support for Eastern European Democracy Act (SEED), ILAB aided economies that were transitioning to a more open economic system to develop labor markets. Additionally, ILAB has undertaken various social initiatives globally including a $10 million project to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in workers. These initiatives are all aimed at providing stability to an interconnected global economy in which labor issues in foreign countries can have negative effects in the United States.
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
which manages the Department's international responsibilities. According to its mission statement:
“ILAB conducts research on and formulates international economic, trade, immigration, and labor policies in collaboration with other U.S. Government agencies and provides international technical assistance in support of U.S. foreign labor policy objectives.”
ILAB promotes the economic security and stability of United States workers in international affairs and provides advice and statistics on policy decisions which have U.S. labor concerns. The Bureau also represents the United States at trade negotiations and at international bodies like the International Labor Organization (ILO), the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It also provides technical assistance to foreign countries in the interest of benefiting the United States and additionally works with other government agencies to combat child labor
Child labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
and human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
abroad and in the United States.
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs is located in the Francis Perkins Building, Room C-4325, 200 Constitution Avenue
Constitution Avenue
In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...
, NW Washington, DC 20210. It is currently under the direction of Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Sandra Polaski.
History
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs was formed October 10, 1947, during the administration of PresidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
under the direction of Lewis B. Schwellenbach
Lewis B. Schwellenbach
Lewis Baxter Schwellenbach , was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He was born in Superior, Wisconsin.-Early life:When Schwellenbach was eight years old, his family moved to Spokane, Washington...
as a means to formally institutionalize the international directives of the Department of Labor. Since its creation, ILAB has helped pass the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, aided the introduction of the United States of America into the International Labor Organization (ILO), and administered the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), the portion of the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) which dealt with trade relations and required the establishment of a department in each member state to provide information about labor conditions in that country.
Child labor, human trafficking and forced labor
In 1993, the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
directed the Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich
Robert Reich
Robert Bernard Reich is an American political economist, professor, author, and political commentator. He served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and was Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997....
at the time, to identify foreign industries and countries which export goods to the United States which were produced using child labor. Responsibility for this project was given to ILAB which published the first of its reports on the subject: The Sweat and Toil of Children: The Use of Child Labor in American Imports.
In January 2001, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
signed Executive Order 13126 which prohibited the purchase of items which were produced by forced or indentured labor. It also authorized the Department of Labor to compile a list of items and their respective countries which would be banned. This fell under the purview of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. The current list, as compiled by ILAB, consists of 11 products including bamboo, beans, rice, rubber, shrimp, and sugarcane. All of which originate in Burma with one additionally produced in Pakistan. As of 2004, ILAB has spent more than $250 million to combat child labor since 1995.
On April 10, 2009, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs announced a letter of intent to "Fund International Child Labor Elimination Projects in Fiscal Year 2009" this involves the awarding of merit-based "cooperative agreement awards" to organizations seeking to fund projects to combat child labor through education. It is intended that $20 million be budgeted for this purpose. These efforts will be focused in the countries of Guatemala, Indonesia, Nepal, and Rwanda.
International technical cooperation
ILAB provides technical assistance with other countries in the areas of technical expertise, worker health, and working conditions with the goal of benefiting U.S. foreign policy. This program began in the aftermath of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the Department of Labor taught German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
trade unionists to assist in European reconstruction efforts.
In 1975, ILAB worked with the Government of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
to develop a vocational training program and in 1989, after the passage of the Support for Eastern European Democracy Act (SEED), ILAB aided economies that were transitioning to a more open economic system to develop labor markets. Additionally, ILAB has undertaken various social initiatives globally including a $10 million project to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in workers. These initiatives are all aimed at providing stability to an interconnected global economy in which labor issues in foreign countries can have negative effects in the United States.
Offices
- Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA)
- Trade Policy and Negotiations Division
- Economic and Labor Research Division
- Trade Agreement Administration and Technical Cooperation Division
- Office of International Relations(OIR)
- Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking(OCFT)
- Operation Division
- Africa Division
- Latin America and Caribbean Division
- Asia/Europe/MENA Division
Related legislation
- Executive Order 13126
- Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 was a $288 billion, five-year agricultural policy bill that was passed into law by the United States Congress on June 18, 2008. The bill was a continuation of the 2002 Farm Bill. It continues the United States' long history of agricultural subsidy as...
(“Farm Bill”) - Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act(TVPRA)
See also
- United States Department of LaborUnited States Department of LaborThe United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
- United States Department of StateUnited States Department of StateThe United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
- Child LaborChild laborChild labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
External links
- United States Department of Labor Official Website
- Bureau of International Labor Affairs Official Website
- Selected Bureau of International Labor Affairs Publications and Documents
- Official Website of the International Labor Organization (ILO)
- US Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Website (G/TIP)