Largest US union federation presses Fifa on labor rights around 2026 World Cup
The US’s largest federation of labor unions is leading a coalition demanding Fifa address concerns around human and labor rights at the 2026 World Cup in US, Canada and Mexico and commit to minimum standards on these issues.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be held later this year has already been marred in egregious human rights and labor violations, including the deaths of thousands of migrant workers who were brought into the country to build stadiums and infrastructure for the event, evidence of forced labor, reports of withheld wages, exorbitant recruitment fees charged to workers, and paltry pay.
In December 2021, the AFL-CIO, a federation of 57 labor unions in the US, and several other labor and human rights groups, wrote a letter to Fifa demanding minimum labor standards for planning and execution of the 2026 World Cup and that Fifa meet with the groups to address commitments Fifa should make to meet human rights guarantees.
“Without such guarantees, Fifa essentially stands to profit from low wages, unsafe working conditions, racial discrimination in hiring and promotion, gentrification, and other forms of skewed development that make lowincome communities dread the arrival of a mega-sporting event,” the letter wrote.
Fifa wrote back in January 2022, dismissing concerns about the governing body’s human rights policies and implementation of them.
“It was really just a superficial response. There were no initial commitments, no serious commitment to engaging us,” said Cathy Feingold, Director of the International Department at the AFL-CIO.
Feingold explained now is the time multi-million dollar deals are made ahead of the 2026 World Cup, in terms of major tax breaks and contract bids, and the coalition is pushing for minimum labor standards to be included in these deals, such as local hiring and diversity hiring directives, use of unionized labor discrimination protections for workers, healthcare access while workers are working events, and minimum wage standards for the event that generates billions of dollars in revenue and profits.
In their response, the AFL-CIO and other groups set a deadline of 15 March 2022 for Fifa to schedule a meeting with the groups to discuss the issues before host cities for the 2026 World Cup are selected.
Fifa never responded until shortly after they were asked to comment on this story on 31 March. The AFL-CIO led coalition characterized the response as offering the bare minimum and avoiding the coalition’s demands in regards to ensuring high level Fifa officials with the authority to implement labor and
human rights standards attend and the issues to be discussed.
“The real issue here is to ensure that when Fifa comes to town, and we’re still waiting to hear what cities in the US will host workers will have a voice in the agreement, workers will be part of the conversation about what happens with those games,” Feingold added. “Now is the time when these key pieces get put in place, usually the time when people aren’t paying attention because it is so far out. But this is when the deals get locked in. This is when the resource decisions get made. We need workers at the table. We need community partners there with us so that these games can actually be a different model.”
In Orlando, Florida, one of 17 US cities that submitted bids to host games for the 2026 World Cup, Eric Clinton, President of UNITE HERE Local 362, a labor union which represents Disney workers and food service workers around the Orlando area, criticized the lack of input or inclusion of local labor unions in the city’s bid.
“Not only did the Orlando committee say that they did include us, they insulted us and said that labor unions in Central Florida are not relevant, which is just simply not true. we represent 70,000 people here,” Clinton told the Guardian.
He noted at the behest of Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, the committee finally met with local labor leaders, but after the bid was submitted.
“It’s too little too late,” Clinton said. “It’s an honor to be awarded the game and it would be an economic study stimulus, it causes a lot of money to come into the community. But the question I have, on behalf of my members, is who is benefiting from it? Is it workers who will be cleaning the stands and restrooms in the stadiums, making sure places are secure and safe, or running audio and visual? Or is it Fifa and their cronies who have done a disservice to working people by leaving them on the sidelines?”
A spokesperson for Fifa argued the host city selection process has a human rights component designed to ensure candidate host cities engage with local stakeholders.
“In line with its Statutes and Human Rights Policy, Fifa remains steadfast in its commitment to protect and promote human rights across football, and to use the popularity of the sport to help foster still wider positive social change around the world,” said the spokesperson in an email. “We are confident that the selection process and the city plans will provide a robust foundation for the collaboration between the host city teams and relevant rights-holder groups in the preparation and hosting of the Fifa World Cup in 2026. Fifa has been in contact with AFLCIO during the process and the independent evaluators of the candidate host city reports take into account the written feedback shared by AFLCIO and others. Furthermore, Fifa is in touch with AFL-CIO and other national level stakeholders to schedule further exchanges in the coming weeks.”