Human Rights and Unions in the Workplace
My trip to Brazil was not a typical post card tourist vacation. My trip to Brazil was a learning experience of the fight for people and the planet through a socialist lens. In America, just like any other country, our culture has molded our belief system. For example, most Americans would agree that corporations are generally good things because they provide jobs, boost our economy and produce things that we can ultimately consume. What could go wrong?
Simply put, there is no right or wrong. In one of my favorite classes my professor always told us that if we don’t know the answer then your best bet is to say, “It depends.” Corporations are no exception. Not all corporations are good and not all corporations are bad, it depends. It is the capitalist system set in place that can push good intentional people to make bad decisions for people and the planet.
Capitalism was a course topic during our stay in Brazil. It literally took everything I have ever believed about the shiny beautiful capitalism structure that has made America so great and turned it upside down, spun it around and left me utterly confused. How could corporations and capitalists behave in a system that manipulates land and labor simply for profit for the owners? I was about to start my career and work for a corporation! What defense system do we have as employees or consumers to protect our human rights? Do we have to simply rely on the government or can we do something else?
That is where everything pieced together for me. Unions are a nongovernmental organization that protect the rights of workers from human rights violations in the workplace. When I interned for a corporation last year, I was told over and over by my superiors how terrible the union was to our profit. The union workers made us pay them for overtime, made it difficult to fire them and demanded workplace benefits like a cafeteria, coffee and break times. What evil people! The union workers are taking away the profit of our greedy corporate executives.
Capitalism and corporations have a natural clash between human rights and sustainability. There must be a balancing act between the stakeholders. Today, I work directly with union workers and I have a deep appreciation for the strength and courage people have to stand up for the rights even when they are terrified of losing their job. Brazil has taught me that if you respect your people and land then they will prosper.