Lauren Stewart

Experience

• 

  Management Sciences for Health

  Jun 2005 - Dec 2006

  International Travel Coordinator

  In accordance with federal regulations, coordinated 200+ international trips for technical staff under the USAID-funded Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival (BASICS) project. Regularly engaged with USAID and U.S. embassies to obtain travel clearance. Instituted an interoffice tracking system for travel within the organization.

• 

  Solidarity Center

  Oct 2007 - Jan 2013

  Provided grant management, program implementation, and backstopping support to field offices in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico. Produced and contributed to winning grant proposals that responded to the needs of union partners and met donor objectives. Developed budgets, monitored program performance, drafted donor reports, and oversaw project evaluations.Designed and conducted training for workers from traditionally marginalized groups on labor rights, grassroots advocacy, union leadership development, and organizing in the informal economy.Facilitated a consensus-building process between polarized unions in Haiti to identify and promote joint advocacy priorities in the context of post-earthquake recovery. Performed a three-month temporary duty assignment in Haiti to assist with opening a field office and launch a program to improve labor conditions in the export garment industry. Worked with the country team and union partners in Haiti to equitably distribute and account for over $500,000 in earthquake aid donated by U.S. union members. Navigated challenging logistics to support the construction and operation of a union-run medical clinic in Port-au-Prince following the earthquake. Show less

  • Program Officer, Latin America

    Jan 2009 - Jan 2013

  • Program Assistant, Latin America

    Oct 2007 - Nov 2008
• 

  Solidarity Center

  Jan 2015 - Jan 2019

  Senior Program Officer, Latin America

  Served as deputy to the regional program director in the supervision of programs, field offices, and budget management. Provided daily counsel on departmental affairs, proactively problem-solved, devised strategy, and mentored staff. Provided grant management, technical assistance, and backstopping support to field offices in Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, and Peru.Regularly engaged with U.S. legislators, U.S. labor leaders, and stakeholders to generate support for the policy positions of Latin American union partners, particularly related to the Colombia peace process, post-earthquake recovery (Haiti), and labor provisions in free trade agreements.Participated in civil society coalitions to reinforce U.S.-based advocacy. Elevated labor issues within the broader human rights community and diaspora circles. Coordinated and implemented measures to protect human rights defenders under threat.Co-chaired an organizational working group engaged in building and coordinating a new body of work on climate justice. Coordinated with technical experts in the international labor movement to develop programs and relationships to aid union partners in advancing a just transition. Show less

• 

  Solidarity Center

  Apr 2020 - Apr 2022

  Regional Program Director, Latin America

  Directed and ensured the successful implementation and funding of labor rights programs ($18 million, annually) across 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Led an international team of 50+ staff based in DC headquarters and nine field offices.Provided thought leadership in the design and delivery of high-impact, union capacity building programs. Regional portfolio comprised projects on union organizing, collective bargaining, enforcement of labor rights provisions in trade agreements, just transition for labor and climate justice, migration, labor law reform, democracy promotion, and combatting anti-union violence.Oversaw the conceptualization and rollout of a multi-phase $20 million program to build an independent labor movement and strengthen labor rights enforcement in Mexico under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). Led an unprecedented, three-fold scale-up in funding and staffing - the largest in the organization's history - and instituted new administrative processes, management structures, and workflows within the Mexico field office. Swiftly adapted regional programming to meet the needs of vulnerable workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported union partners to negotiate workplace safety measures and advocate for an inclusive recovery.Briefed U.S. government officials and provided analysis on regional labor trends relevant to U.S. foreign policy and priorities. Show less

• 

  U.S. Department of Labor

  Apr 2022 - now

  Assisted the Director of the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs in administering the labor chapters of 12 U.S. free trade agreements with 17 countries. Led a team of international labor advisors and embassy-based attachés in monitoring and reporting country compliance with treaty obligations related to labor rights protection and labor law enforcement. Oversaw the development and implementation of remediation and engagement plans to address compliance concerns and strengthen the capacity of foreign government counterparts through targeted technical assistance. Provided expertise, intelligence analysis, and recommendations to other offices and U.S. government agencies to coordinate engagement and leverage trade tools for more robust enforcement. Prepared principals and collaborated with interagency partners to advance labor priorities through high-level diplomatic and trade engagements. Advocated for worker-centered, rights-based approaches on cross-cutting policy issues, including democracy and governance, inclusive economic development, citizen security, migration, supply chain resilience, and a just energy transition. Show less

  • Acting Chief of Staff, Bureau of International Labor Affairs

    Sept 2023 - now

  • Division Chief, Monitoring & Enforcement of Trade Agreements, Bureau of International Labor Affairs

    Apr 2022 - Sept 2023