The International Labor Fund vs. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
Encyclopedia
The International Labor Fund vs. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (2005) was a class action law suit filed by The International Labor Rights Fund
on November 17, 2005 against The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
, on behalf of a group of former child laborers, in Liberia
.
The plaintiffs accused the company of knowingly allowing the use of child laborers filing a suit as a result of policies which began when Firestone opened its first plant in Liberia in 1926.
Firestone contends the 1926 agreement as a milestone advancement in the global production of rubber.
International Labor Rights Fund
The International Labor Rights Forum is a nonprofit advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC that describes itself as "an advocate for and with the working poor around the world". ILRF, formerly the International Labor Rights Education & Research Fund, was founded in 1986...
on November 17, 2005 against The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
, on behalf of a group of former child laborers, in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.
The plaintiffs accused the company of knowingly allowing the use of child laborers filing a suit as a result of policies which began when Firestone opened its first plant in Liberia in 1926.
Firestone contends the 1926 agreement as a milestone advancement in the global production of rubber.
External links
- ILRF site for this suit
- International Rights Advocates site for this suit
- Stop Firestone campaign website
See also
- Economy of LiberiaEconomy of LiberiaThe First Liberian Civil War in 1989-96 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Many businessmen fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some returned during 1997. Many will not return...
- Liberia (on 1926 rubber agreement)
- Firestone Tire and Rubber Company#Firestone's corporate troubles