Jewish American Labor Council

Advocacy & Issues

Our Positions.
Our Principles.

JALC advocates on behalf of the ILO's core labor standards — the fundamental conventions that form the bedrock of international workers' rights. Our positions are grounded in Jewish values and informed by decades of engagement with the ILO and its member states.

The ILO's Core Labor Standards

The International Labour Organization has identified eight "fundamental conventions" covering four categories of rights: freedom of association and collective bargaining, elimination of forced labor, abolition of child labor, and elimination of discrimination in employment.

These core standards — now supplemented by the ILO's 2022 addition of safe and healthy working conditions as a fifth fundamental principle — form the basis of JALC's advocacy. We work to ensure universal ratification, effective enforcement, and meaningful ILO supervisory engagement with member states that fall short.

"Labor rights are human rights. The ILO's conventions are not aspirational — they are binding obligations that every member state must honor."

— JALC Policy Statement, 2024
01

Elimination of Forced & Compulsory Labor

ILO Convention No. 29 (1930)ILO Convention No. 105 (1957)Protocol of 2014 to Convention No. 29

Forced labor affects an estimated 27.6 million people worldwide. JALC advocates for universal ratification and robust enforcement of the ILO's foundational forced labor conventions, with particular attention to supply chain transparency, migrant worker protections, and state-imposed forced labor.

Our Policy Positions

  • Universal ratification of the 2014 Protocol to Convention No. 29
  • Mandatory supply chain due diligence legislation in ILO member states
  • Strengthened ILO supervisory mechanisms for forced labor complaints
  • Dedicated ILO technical assistance programs for high-risk sectors
Jewish American Labor Council logo
02

Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining

ILO Convention No. 87 (1948)ILO Convention No. 98 (1949)

The right to organize and bargain collectively is the cornerstone of the international labor standards system. JALC works to defend these rights against erosion — particularly in export processing zones, the gig economy, and countries where independent trade unions face legal or extrajudicial suppression.

Our Policy Positions

  • Full application of Conventions 87 and 98 in all economic sectors
  • ILO engagement with governments that restrict independent union activity
  • Extension of collective bargaining rights to platform and gig workers
  • Protection of trade union representatives from retaliation and violence
Workers in a negotiation meeting representing collective bargaining
03

Abolition of Child Labor

ILO Convention No. 138 (1973)ILO Convention No. 182 (1999)

Despite significant progress, 160 million children remain in child labor globally. JALC supports the ILO's target of ending all forms of child labor by 2025 and advocates for the resources, policy frameworks, and international cooperation needed to achieve it — with special focus on hazardous child labor and the worst forms.

Our Policy Positions

  • Sustained ILO funding for child labor elimination programs
  • Integration of child labor standards into trade agreements
  • Accelerated ratification of Convention No. 138 by remaining non-ratifying states
  • Social protection floors that reduce economic drivers of child labor
Children studying in a classroom representing education over child labor
04

Non-Discrimination & Equal Opportunity

ILO Convention No. 100 (1951)ILO Convention No. 111 (1958)

Discrimination in employment — on grounds of race, religion, sex, national origin, or political opinion — remains pervasive. JALC advocates for the full application of the ILO's equality conventions, with particular attention to religious discrimination, antisemitism in the workplace, and the rights of migrant workers.

Our Policy Positions

  • Robust ILO monitoring of Convention No. 111 compliance
  • ILO guidance on religious accommodation in the workplace
  • Equal pay enforcement mechanisms aligned with Convention No. 100
  • Expanded ILO technical cooperation on anti-discrimination legislation
Diverse workers representing equal opportunity and non-discrimination

ILO Initiatives We Support

Beyond the core conventions, JALC engages with the ILO's broader programmatic agenda — supporting initiatives that advance decent work, social protection, and sustainable development.

Future of Work Agenda

JALC actively engages with the ILO's centenary initiative on the future of work, advocating for human-centered approaches to technological change, platform work, and the green transition.

Decent Work Country Programs

We support the ILO's Decent Work Country Programs as the primary vehicle for translating international standards into national policy, and advocate for adequate funding and ambitious targets.

Global Supply Chain Initiative

JALC participates in ILO discussions on global supply chains, pushing for binding due diligence standards and effective remediation mechanisms for workers harmed in international supply chains.

Social Protection Floor

We champion the ILO's Social Protection Floor Recommendation (No. 202), advocating for universal access to basic social security as a foundation for labor rights and human dignity.

Add Your Voice to Our Advocacy

Join JALC's advocacy network and help us advance workers' rights at the International Labour Organization. Members receive updates on ILO developments, opportunities to participate in delegations, and invitations to our policy events.

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