Guatemalan workers received support from an unexpected quarter this week. A group of global clothing brands (including the Gap, Liz Claiborne, Nike, Under Armour, American Eagle, Adidas, PVH and PF) and an association to which they are affiliated with, the Fair Labor Association, wrote to the Government of Guatemala to urge it to move swiftly to reach a satisfactory resolution to a labor complaint filed four years ago by the AFL-CIO and six Guatemalan unions under DR-CAFTA (the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement). 

The complaint detailed the government’s repeated failures to enforce its own domestic labor laws, to ensure that its laws guarantee workers internationally recognized labor rights and to protect workers from threats and violence when they attempt to exercise those rights. 

Guatemalan workers lack an effective means to engage their employers on economic and quality of life issues because they risk their jobs when they speak out. Employers frequently violate Guatemalan law by firing union leaders. Far worse, union leaders put their lives on the line as well. In the past year alone, seven members of the country’s most important union, Sitrabi (which represents banana workers), have been murdered. 

The letter reaffirmed the brands’ commitment to an “environment in which the basic rights of workers are respected and labor laws are consistently enforced.” These brands know that American consumers don’t want clothing produced under sweatshop conditions. These brands know that Americans don’t want “cheap” clothing that comes with a price tag of exploitation and abuse. These brands know that the Government of Guatemala needs to change its ways and start protecting its own citizens. How long will it take the Government of Guatemala to learn the same lesson? 

To read more about labor rights in Guatemala, click here.