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
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