J'Accuse: : The 10 Worst Corporations of 2006

by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman

Selecting the 10 worst corporations of the year is more art than science.

We do, however, apply certain guidelines. One is that, barring extraordinary circumstances, we do not place companies on the list two years running.

The rationale for this guideline is that we want to diversify the pool of named companies (and there is a big pool of bad actors from which to select).

The downside is that we inevitably leave off companies who did something really bad in the previous year — solely on the grounds that they were malefactors the year before.

So, as a warm-up to the 2006 list, permit a quick review of the recent activities of those companies on the list in 2005. MORE>>

Meet the War Profiteers

by Charlie Cray

Forty-five dollar cases of soda; $85,000 trucks, in need of minor repairs, torched and abandoned; tens of millions of dollars in gasoline surcharges; thousands of meals prepared but never served to the troops, while Third World nationals, paid a pittance by their subcontractors get fed spoiled leftovers; contaminated water served to the troops. These are among the many abuses committed by Halliburton/KBR and its subsidiaries in Iraq, brought to light by a relative handful of whistleblowers and government officials.

Halliburton has been the biggest contractor in Iraq, receiving some $20 billion from both its oil and troop logistics contracts, but it is not alone. The Iraq war is the most privatized war in U.S. history, and many corporations have gotten fat feeding off the public trough. MORE>>

Multinationals to China: No New Labor Rights

by Jeremy Brecher, Brendan Smith and Tim Costello

A major debate is underway in China on a proposed Draft Labor Contract Law that would grant new rights to Chinese workers.

When the Chinese government opened a 30-day public comment period on the draft proposal in spring 2006, nearly 200,000 comments were received. A majority of these came from ordinary workers. But some of the comments were from big U.S.- and European-based global corporations and their lobbying groups that came out squarely against the new law.

Wal-Mart’s recent agreement to recognize unions in China has made headlines worldwide. But Wal-Mart and other corporations, including Google, UPS, Microsoft, Nike, AT&T and Intel, acting through the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham) and other industry associations, are trying to block legislation that would increase the power and protection of workers. MORE>>

King Coal's Dark Reign

An Interview with Jeff Goodell

Jeff Goodell is the author of Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future. He is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine. He is also the author, along with the trapped miners, of Our Story: 77 Hours that Tested our Friendship and our Faith, based on the time nine Quecreek miners spent trapped underground. MORE>>