FLA members and stakeholders engage in Berlin around pressing global labor rights issues

From October 28-30, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) hosted its October Board Convening and Stakeholder Conference in Berlin, Germany. Approximately 125 FLA members and affiliates, along with key regional and international stakeholders and staff, gathered for three days of education and discussion on today’s most pressing labor issues in global supply chains.

“Even as tariff upheaval, regulatory changes, and economic trends shift the ground under our feet, we are committed to helping our members navigate uncertainty …This is unquestionably a difficult time to advance human rights, but our work is more crucial than ever,” said FLA President and CEO Jeff Vockrodt.

During the board meeting, FLA thanked outgoing Board Chair Michael Posner for his dedication to the organization. Posner served as chair from 2017 – 2025, offering valuable guidance and leadership through FLA milestones, including strengthening its accreditation programs, launching the Fair Compensation Toolkit, and establishing the flagship Harvesting the Future initiative.

“From the organization’s earliest days, when FLA was a groundbreaking new model, to his service as board chair, Mike has played a fundamentally important role in making our work both possible and effective,” said Vockrodt.

Offering thanks to FLA members, fellow board members, and staff, Posner reflected on the value that FLA’s multistakeholder model provides its member organizations. “We are three different constituencies, but we manage to navigate our differences. That’s what makes the organization special,” said Posner. “I want to say what an honor and a privilege it’s been to chair this board.”

In addition, FLA welcomed incoming Board Chair Chris Lu. Lu, who served as former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management, brings a lifelong commitment to public service to FLA. “This work is deeply meaningful to me personally. I’m honored to be entrusted with the role of chair, and I look forward to working with all of you to build on FLA’s robust foundation as we continue to grow and innovate,” said Lu. “Our impact is multiplied when we work together to act courageously.”

The board celebrated new members that have joined FLA, including Fresno State University and Initiative for Women’s Empowerment, and welcomes new board member Julie Vallat from L’Oreal. They also discussed the future of the FLA Europe Committee structure and activities, under the leadership of new FLA Europe Chair Yves Flückiger, and future FLA projects – including expanding work in upstream supply chains.

Throughout the week, FLA leaders and experts from partner organizations convened a variety of panels for event attendees on key labor topics impacting members, including HRDD models in upstream supply chains, responsible recruitment of migrant workers, U.S. and EU regulatory changes and ethical supply chains, achievements and challenges from FLA’s Fair Compensation Strategy, and a training on implementing grievance mechanisms.

In a new addition to this year’s event, FLA staff shared briefings on innovative initiatives that demonstrate FLA’s leadership in protecting workers worldwide. These included: how companies can work best in conflict areas; how our Fair Labor Investigations team resolves conflict before a full investigation is needed; how FLA’s WISE app help informs workers of their rights and raise concerns; and progress on FLA’s Retailer Working Group, which is exploring options to bring retailers to FLA’s multistakeholder model.

Leaders also hosted breakout sessions for attendees to discuss and share their experience on topics including how to make the most of social audits, how to strengthen workers’ rights through improved standards, and how to measure FLA’s impact on improving working conditions.

FLA’s next board meeting will be held in Washington, DC from March 10-12, 2026.