In response to the increased attention around human rights abuses facing low-wage workers around the globe, we have seen the emergence of myriad solutions within the social responsibility sector, including corporate social responsibility campaigns, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and transparency legislation. Among many such social responsibility approaches to addressing workers’ rights violations, however, one program has stood out. The worker-driven social responsibility (WSR) approach, first championed by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in the tomato fields of Florida, has garnered acclaim for its successes in mitigating abuses within the agricultural and other low-wage production sectors.
In the latest report from the Clean Slate for Worker Power project, Susan L. Marquis highlights the origins of WSR, evidence of its efficacy, and the promising implications of its application in sectors and industries beyond agriculture.
