Chiquita

One main contender was Chiquita, who has been under the
radar recently for its funding of paramilitaries in Colombia. When put on trial last
year, the corporation admitted to paying $1.7 million to the United
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), who has been categorized as a terrorist
group by the US
government[1].
Though the company claimed these funds were for workers security, most in the
banana-growing region take a very different stance. The family members of trade
unionists, banana workers and activists who filed the lawsuit allege that the
AUC has committed the tortures, killings and disappearances of workers.

Chevron

A second major offender is Chevron. Just in the past few
months, Chevron has been accused of supporting the Nigerian military in 1998,
when troops split up a protest at an offshore oil rig. The incident ended with
two of the protesters being killed. [2] In
August of 2007, Federal Judge Susan Illston voiced her opinion over the
situation:

“It is
apparent that [Chevron Nigeria]
and [Nigerian forces] had a much closer relationship between private parties
and law enforcement officials in this county. The [Nigerian forces] were on the
[Chevron Nigeria] payroll
and engaged in extensive security work for [Chevron Nigeria].”[3]

Smithfield

Even in the U.S.,
challenges to organize are repeatedly ignored. Smithfield
foods, which is based in North
Carolina, has received much criticism for failing to
negotiate with unions over worker rights. Claims of mistreatment and unlawful
firings continue to be voiced by hundreds of employees. Fortunately, some progress
has been made and after 15 years of struggle by the workers of Smithfield’s plant in Tar Heel, a fair
election process has been agreed upon by management. Though this is a step in
the right direction, there is still much more work that needs to be done.

I realize these examples may seem very scattered and
dissociated, but it just goes to show how prevalent this issue is in today
global economy. Violence against trade unions is a common occurrence and
continues to be a profit-maximizing tactic for major corporations worldwide.

Remember this Wednesday to check out which 5 corporations
made the cut, and what you can do to stop their violations!