Home • Trade Information • Support Our Work • Contact

September 2008

Next Steering Committee Meeting:

Attention members: you are invited to attend our monthly steering committee meetings. Our next meeting will be:

-- October 1st, 2008 at the Carpenters Hall --700 Olive St. St. Paul, MN

Historic TRADE Reform Act Introduced!

Minneapolis – The Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition commend Representatives Tim Walz (D - 01) Betty McColum (D-04), Keith Ellison (D-05), Collin Peterson (D-07) and James Oberstar (D-08) (right) for their co-sponsorship for a new vision of trade policy. Over fifty original House and Senate cosponsors joined twenty leading labor, environmental, family farm and faith groups in supporting new consensus legislation offering a positive vision for future U.S. trade policy. Entitled the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) the bill was introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) today in Washington D.C.

The act triggers a review of all existing trade agreements, and provides a process to renegotiate them. The bill also outlines principles of what should be included in future trade agreements, and expresses the sense of the Congress that their role in trade policymaking should be strengthened.

“The TRADE Act’s clear articulation of what we’re for, and its very specific benchmarks for current and future trade agreements provides a balanced way forward that grounds our trade policy on the impact these policies have on American’s everyday lives,” said Rep. Michaud. “Instead of rhetoric, the TRADE Act calls for concrete results.”

“The TRADE Act represents a positive step forward in international trade policy. I commend the authors and coauthors of the bill, including Minnesota Reps. Peterson, Ellison and McCollum and ask all of our congressional delegation to support this legislation,” said Steve Hunter, Minnesota AFL-CIO Secretary/Treasurer.

“The TRADE Act defines a plan for a fair trade policy that will allow American agriculture to compete on a level playing field. Under the current free trade agenda Americas trading partners are not required to meet the same high labor, environmental, and health and safety standards as American farmers and ranchers,” said Minnesota Farmers Union President, Doug Peterson.

“Global trade has the potential to be a powerful force for democracy and economic and social justice throughout the world, if done correctly. The TRADE Act is the beginning of the discussion about how we can do trade fairly, without destroying our environment or the livelihoods of American working families in the process,” said Russell Hess, President of Southeast Central Labor Council AFL-CIO.

Dennis Olson of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Action, also praised the initiative, saying, “For too long, trade agreements have deregulated agricultural markets to promote exports at any cost...unfortunately, the growing world food crisis, contrasted with windfall profits of transnational agribusiness cartels, reflects the absolute bankruptcy of this failed NAFTA-WTO model. This bill outlines a new approach that establishes the right of all countries to increase food self-sufficiency based on independent family farm agriculture and sound conservation practices."

The TRADE Act was introduced following a presidential primary season that saw trade policy rise to the top of American’s concerns. With several Democratic candidates promising to renegotiate existing agreements ( www.citizenstrade.org/positions.php to read those commitments), the TRADE Act provides a blueprint for how to best remedy many of these past problems in trade agreements.

According to the Director of the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition, Alicia Ranney, “Labor, family farm, environmental and other progressive organizations want to see a responsible expansion of trade. The TRADE Act is a balanced way to expand trade, offering us all a fair way to move forward.

The current U.S. trade model has had devastating impacts. Since 1975, when Fast Track was first enacted, the trade deficit has gone from a slight surplus to an unsustainable $709 billion deficit in 2007. A net 4.7 million manufacturing jobs have been lost. American worker productivity doubled but median wages are only 1 percent above 1970s levels. In Minnesota, over 40,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost due to trade since 1993.

The bill articulates specific changes needed to the failed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)/World Trade Organization (WTO) model to ensure trade deals achieve good jobs, safe food and the promotion of basic human rights, healthy communities and environmental protection.

Tell Your Representative to support the TRADE Act!

Call your Congressman today and tell them to sign-on to support the TRADE Act!

Representatives Walz and Oberstar have been fair trade all-stars in Congress and should sign on to support this important issue.

*Denotes Representative has supported fair trade and/or opposed failed trade in the past.

Call them and them to sign on to the TRADE Act today!

Senator Amy Klobuchar* 202 - 224 - 3244

Senator Norm Coleman 202 - 224 - 5641

John Kline (D - 02) 202 - 225 - 2271

Michelle Bachman (D-06) 202 - 225 - 2331

Jim Ramstasd (D-03) 202 - 225 - 2871

Don't forget to let us know how it went.

Tell Senator Coleman to stop ducking the issue - Oppose the Colombia FTA!

Since 1986, more than 2500 union leaders have been murdered in Colombia. In 2008 alone, 23 union members have been murdered. About 97% of these crimes have gone unprosecuted and unpunished by the Colombian government. Recently more and more details have emerged that make clear the close partnership between leading Colombian government officials and the right-wing paramilitaries that continue to carry out these killings. U.S. companies such as Chiquita have admitted to providing funds to these paramilitary groups and union leaders allege that companies like Coca Cola and Occidental Petroleum have conspired with the paramilitaries to have union leaders murdered.

The Bush Administration continues to push its Colombia agenda forward, despite large opposition by most Democrats, Labor, Family Farm, Environmental, Religious and Social Justice organizations.

Senator Norm Coleman has still not taken an official position on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Call him today and tell him to stop ducking the issue. He needs to come clean and tell his constituents where he stands with the pending free trade agreement with Colombia. Be sure to leave your home address and to ask for a response. Here's how:

Call Senator Coleman today: (202) 224-5641

A handful of calls will make a difference. Let him know you are watching and want him to stop ducking the issue on the situation in Colombia.

Farmworkers Victorious, Improve Wages & Conditions:

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) receive another win in their fight for fair food and working conditions for farmworkers. On May 23, Burger King relented to intense pressure from the CIW, students, labor, religious and social justice organizations and members in the US Senate to join Taco Bell (YUM Brands) and McDonalds in their pay more per pound campaign to improve the lives of farmworkers and end slavery in the fields. Check out the CIW website for the latest news. www.ciw-online.org

Archives

Newsletter Subscription