US unions to campaign against US-Colombia FTA, businesses to lobby in favor

[Judi Lynn]

US unions to campaign against US-Colombia FTA, businesses to lobby in favor
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 15:39
Adriaan Alsema

United States labor unions are preparing an intensive campaign to try to stop the pending free trade agreement between the U.S. and Colombia, several media reported Wednesday.

According to political weblog The Hill, the country's largest union federation will organizes several events in the hope Congress will reject the agreement with Bogota. The U.S. union will receive support from Colombian labor unions, who will send representatives to Washington to talk about the situation of labor rights workers in the Andean nation.

According to both The Hill and Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) on Tuesday will release a report on Telefonica, a major phone provider in Colombia, which the union says will show problems with the trade deal. The next day, the AFL-CIO has planned a advertisement campaign against the trade pact.

On Thursday, Colombian lawmakers and the presidents of the AFL-CIO and the CWA will hold a press conference in which they will talk about the ongoing violence against labor rights workers in Colombia.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/17002-us-unions-announce-intensive-campaign-to-stop-us-colombia-fta.html

LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4886347

[Judi Lynn]

1. Unions Speak Out Against The Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Unions Speak Out Against The Colombia Free Trade Agreement
Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 1:25PM

A group of union representatives and congressman called upon the president today to delay the advance of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. They feel that the president Obama’s Labor Action Plan is a first step, but they want to ensure that workers and trade unionists in Colombia are protected by more than just words on a piece of paper.

The speakers feel that Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a union member. In the last 25 years, more than 2,850 trade unionists have been killed, 51 of them were murdered just last year. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) said, ” this is something that the congress of the United States cannot ignore, and before we give American preference to another country for trade arrangements, we need to ask if this is good for American workers and good for American values. The Columbian Free Trade Agreement does neither.”

President of the Communications Workers of America Larry Cohen already has the support of 14 congressman as he looks to send a signed letter to president Obama within the next week asking him to delay the proposed legislation.

http://www.talkradionews.com/news/2011/6/16/unions-speak-out-against-the-colombia-free-trade-agreement.html