HARBEL, Margibi – A two-man delegation from the United Steel Workers, a North American workers union, is in the country to visit the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia, FAWUL.

USW International Vice President Fred Raymond and Director for Strategic Campaigns Mark Zalinski told The Bush Chicken that they were here to strengthen the partnership with FAWUL and assist in negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with Firestone.

“In the United States, the steel workers have a strong bargaining relationship with Firestone, and we believe that we have to show solidarity with Firestone employees around the world,” he stated.

He said FAWUL is a strategic partner to the United Steel Workers because members in the United States work with the tire industry to manufacture tires from latex that is extracted in Harbel. The relationship between the two organizations dates back to 2005.

“In terms of solidarity, we feel that as employees of Firestone, we must stand united in our efforts to share prosperity, and insist that Firestone share some of the wealth that our members in the United States and here in Liberia make for Firestone,” he said.

Raymond said he believes that FAWUL has the strategic knowledge and capacity to tackle issues of fairness, wages and salaries, benefits, safety and health during the upcoming negotiation.

For his part, Zalinski praised FAWUL for its achievements in providing responsive leadership and improved conditions for its members.

He pointed out several improvements that have taken place at Firestone over the last decade.

“We see major improvements – for one child labor has been eliminated on the plantation,” he said. “We’ve seen dramatic improvements in the quality of housing, and more schools being built, more education being provided for families and we’ve seen gains in the methods of transporting latex. We have also seen how FAWUL worked to reduce the tappers’ quota over the years, which is a win for the elimination of child labor on the plantation.”

Zalinski said the USW has tremendous admiration and respect for FAWUL’s current and past leadership.

FAWUL President Harris Kerkula praised the USW delegation for their visit and support.

Harris Kerkula, President of the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia

He said due to FAWUL’s limitations in understanding particular issues ahead of the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, it had to involve the participation of its international partners.

Those priority issues include transportation, better wages, medical care, safety, and other basic social services.

He also said the priority issues have been prepared to be placed on the table for bargaining but the USW delegation will refresh members of the FAWUL negotiating team ahead of the bargaining.

Kerkula assured workers that his leadership would negotiate better incentives, fair labor practices, and improved social services. He, however, encouraged the workers to remain patient and law abiding.

Collective bargaining negotiations between Firestone and workers is held every three years. The last time workers of Firestone-Liberia and management negotiated for a new CBA was in 2012. The current agreement will expire in December 2015.

Featured photo by Solidarity Center/ Bill E. Diggs