Moderator:
Maryanne DeMarco | Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations - CAPA

Session Description
Transportation plays a key role in combating human trafficking. This session presents the findings from the National Outreach Survey for Transportation (NOST) focused on forced labor, addressing the significant data gap regarding the intersection of human trafficking and transportation. NOST, the first-ever U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award-winning proposal, is a comprehensive survey primarily for multiple modes of transportation.

The survey aimed to identify what is and is not working on the frontlines of counter-human trafficking
efforts and document unresolved challenges and recommendations from a total of 3,896 respondents from: 1) transportation personnel, 2) victim service providers, and 3) trafficking survivors. The NOST also sought to supply data that may contribute to recommendations to improve counter-trafficking efforts. Among 173 respondents working in various state DOT construction units, only 26% feel slightly or very confident (19% and 7%, respectively) about identifying labor trafficking in their work environment.

Participating transportation workers confirm specific training topics that may help to identify forced labor proximate to the work environment or within the community, transportation-related venues, and events. Respondents from multiple transport modes also provide valuable suggestions on how personnel and industry leaders can help combat human trafficking in supply chains. For the primarily U.S.-based transportation respondents, the most suggested strategy for encouraging companies to use products free from forced labor in their supply chains was high penalties (1,229 respondents), followed by loss of tax benefits (850 respondents) (total n = 1,766).

Organizations can utilize these results for their anti-trafficking plans in consultation with the local community and broader anti-trafficking stakeholders in the transportation industry.

Session Recording