Members share best practices, social compliance resources at annual FLA spring board meeting

From March 26 to 28, 2024, Fair Labor Association (FLA) board members, staff and more than 130 representatives of participating companies, universities, and civil society organizations gathered in Washington, DC and online for FLA’s annual spring board meeting.

“FLA is committed to bringing our 25 years of experience, expertise, practical tools, and on-the-ground operations to the current sea changes in business and human rights, including the shift toward mHRDD in Europe and beyond, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence that will reshape the work in years to come,” said FLA President and CEO Jeff Vockrodt. “This is an exciting time to be doing this work. It’s a moment that demands all the creativity and thoughtfulness we can bring to it — and also that we stay grounded in our mission of improving workers lives.”

During the three-day event, participants learned about FLA’s latest efforts to advance workers’ rights worldwide and exchanged best practices and resources with fellow social compliance and human rights professionals.

A panel moderated by Jeff Vockrodt examined the current state of mandatory human rights due diligence (mHRDD) and legislation in the field, with the following experts weighing in on future due diligence opportunities and challenges:

• Samira Rafaela, Member of European Parliament (Renew Europe Group, NL);
• Jennifer Schappert, Partner at Due Diligence Design;
• Irit Tamir, FLA board member and Director of Private Sector Development at Oxfam America; and
• Yann Wyss, FLA board member and Global Head for Social Impact and Human Rights at Nestlé.

A discussion on the importance of worker voice for robust labor movements in healthy democracies featured Kelly Fay Rodriguez, Special Representative for International Labor Affairs at the State Department; Christopher Kazlauskas, Deputy Director of the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs at the Department of Labor; and Mark Anner, director of the Center for Global Workers’ Rights at Penn State University, and highlighted a recent Department of Labor report on the subject.

Board and staff members offered memorial remarks to commemorate late FLA Senior Advisor Eric Biel, who passed away in November 2023, and encouraged contributions to the Eric Biel Fellowship for International Labor Rights.

FLA’s team provided updates on the latest wage trends and reports, factory and worker engagement, and additional e-Learning opportunities for members. During FLA’s first open Fair Compensation meeting since 2020, staff shared the Fair Compensation Data Collection Tool as well as an analysis of data from eight pilot factories, showing significant increases in regular pay and gross and net wages, with decreases in overtime pay.

Finally, students from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business who are working with FLA as part of the school’s Multidisciplinary Action Project program spoke about their recent factory visits in El Salvador and lessons learned.

FLA’s next board meeting will be held virtually on July 10, 2024.