Firestone Liberia contractors vote to unionize; Bridgestone says third-party workers not eligible to join FAWUL union

HARBEL, Liberia—With more than 90 percent of the vote, third-party contract workers with Firestone Liberia L.L.C. have voted to unionize with the Firestone Agricultural Workers' Union of Liberia.

The Aug. 31 vote by about 1,850 Firestone Liberia "Tapping Contractor" workers saw 1,660 vote for FAWUL representation, with about 190 against, according to the Washington D.C.-based Solidarity Center, which promotes climate and labor justice and the protection of worker rights across the world.

Firestone Liberia, the West African nation's largest employer, is a direct subsidiary of the Firestone Natural Rubber Co. and an indirect subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Inc. Firestone Natural Rubber Co. is a direct subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas.

"We're so proud of these workers who overwhelmingly voted to exercise their right to join a union," Shawna Bader-Blau, executive director of the Solidarity Center, told Rubber News Sept. 6. "We'll continue to support them along with the USW as they now turn their attention to collectively bargaining a fair contract for all plantation workers to improve their lives and their families' lives."

However, Bridgestone said Sept. 9 that the contract workers cannot join FAWUL, as Tapping Contractor employees are not direct employees of Firestone Liberia.
"Firestone Liberia respects union teammates, union leaders and workers' rights to express themselves in a manner that is legal and safe," Firestone Liberia, through Bridgestone, said in an email to Rubber News. "Firestone Liberia acknowledges employees of the third-party Tapping Contractors have the right to establish a union and to address their grievances through the TC, their employers.

"However, the employees of the TC cannot join (Firestone Liberia's) workers union because TC employees are not employees of FSLB. Only FSLB employees may join FAWUL."

FAWUL already respresents 4,000 directly employed workers at Firestone with a collective bargaining agreement reached in 2008—the first CBA in the 82-year history of the plantation. That CBA iteration expires in December, according to Vanessa Parra, communications director at the Solidarity Center.

Despite Firestone Liberia's claims that TC employees cannot join FAWUL, the Solidarity Center said FAWUL now represents the entirety of frontline workers—somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 workers—at Firestone Liberia.

The next step is to negotiate a CBA that covers all of the contract and directly employed workers, according to the Solidarity Center.

"Firestone's contract workers have achieved a great victory by winning union representation with FAWUL," Kevin Mapp, USW international vice president for human affairs, told Rubber News in a Sept. 6 statement. "Firestone must now negotiate a fair collective agreement that covers all FAWUL-represented workers."

According to the Solidarity Center, the contract workers should now be afforded the same wages and benefits as those who are directly employed by Firestone Liberia.

"FAWUL's organizing success is the result of the union's long-term campaign for equity for Firestone's contracted workers, whose precarious jobs and low wages, often for the same work as permanent employees, are in stark contrast to hard-won worker rights on the rubber plantation," the Solidarity Center stated in a Sept. 4 release.

The NR farm, established in 1926 by Firestone, covers about 185 square miles and 119,000 acres.

The company supplies Bridgestone with raw and block latex to manufacture tires in the U.S.

"The company has worked diligently to fulfill its obligations in Liberia as a responsible corporate citizen—to provide for a stable, sustainable and socially responsible natural rubber farming business that serves as a central pillar of the country's economy—while also working to support the broader health and welfare of the Liberian people," Firestone Liberia said.

In November 2005, 23 child laborers filed a class action lawsuit against Firestone Natural Rubber in a U.S. federal court in California.

The plaintiffs alleged violations of international human rights, including forced labor and child labor, in violation of the Alien Tort Statute.

The lawsuit was thrown out by a three-judge U.S. appeals court panel in July 2011.

According to one judge's opinion, there were "inadequate grounds to show that Firestone had violated international human rights law."

Indeed, progress was made after that time through direct talks between Firestone Liberia and FAWUL, according to the Solidarity Center.

The last CBA, reached in 2008 between Firestone Liberia and the 4,000 directly employed natural rubber workers, elevated wages, prompted better working conditions and improved benefits for about two-thirds of the workers on the farm.

"FAWUL won for directly-employed workers improved conditions that include reduced quotas, better working conditions and compensation, on-site free schooling for workers' children, a free onsite health clinic and somewhat improved housing," according to the Solidarity Center.

Now, the union says Firestone is "backtracking" on the gains made over the last 15 years.

The union group says more than 3,500 full-time Firestone Liberia jobs have been lost since 2019 to "layoffs, forced retirement and restructured contract positions" (hiring former direct employees to perform the same work under Firestone Liberia's supervision, but with allegedly lower rates of pay, no benefits and without the protections provided by FAWUL's CBA).

Bridgestone and Firestone Liberia put the job losses in 2019 at 800, according to a March 14, 2019, news release.

"After a thorough and strategic review of its current operations in Liberia, West Africa, Firestone Natural Rubber ... has announced the difficult decision to reduce its workforce by 13 percent (approximately 800 employees) by early second quarter of 2019, at the company's Firestone Liberia operation," Bridgestone stated. "This action is necessary due to continued and unsustainable losses resulting from high overhead costs associated with the company's concession agreement with the government of Liberia, low natural rubber production because of the country's prolonged civil wars, and continued low global natural rubber prices."

There have been two major civil wars in Liberia, the first from 1989 to 1997 and the second from 1999 to 2003.

And the company disagrees with the Solidarity Center's claims.

"FSLB disagrees with claims made by Solidarity Center," Firestone Liberia said. "Contrary to Solidarity Center's claims, Firestone Liberia continues to provide education, medical care and housing for its employees pursuant to its obligations under the Amended and Restated Concession Agreement, at no cost to its employees. These social services are also extended to the various divisions operated by the (Tapping Contractors)."

Liberia's largest privately operated school system is run by Firestone Natural Rubber, with more than 50 teachers and approximately 7,000 students, many of whom receive scholarships to higher education.

According to the Firestone Natural Rubber website, in 2021, Firestone's medical operation delivered 535 babies, providing health care services and support that are "largely unavailable to Liberia's people in other areas of the country," according to the company.

"Our ongoing partnership with Children's Surgery International has resulted in more than 1,000 free surgeries for children from all over Liberia," the company states. "And Firestone was on the front lines of the Ebola crisis in 2014 with our efforts saving thousands of lives in the concession area and surrounding communities."

Citing the importance of the recent union vote, Bader-Blau said "low-wage contract workers" could not previously afford the same PPE that directly employed workers could, leaving them susceptible to injury and snake bites in the field.

Other alleged violations at Firestone Liberia continue, according to Solidarity Center officials.

Inadequate company housing remains, allegedly with two-room, tin-roof and brick apartments that reportedly house 15-20 people in each.

And allegations of excessive overtime being enforced and a lack of fair compensation for NR farming duties continue, as allegedly reported by workers, according to the Solidarity Center.

"FAWUL is holding its general election next month," Firestone Liberia said. "Allegations levied against (Firestone Liberia) by FAWUL during this pre-election period are unfounded.
"As part of its ISCC compliance certification and global human rights requirements, (Firestone Liberia) commissioned an independent audit to be conducted within certain divisions operated by the TC. The audit report showed a few isolated inconsistencies, and Firestone Liberia is now working with the TC to address them.

"Firestone Liberia is built on the core values of respect and trust for its employees and their dependents."