|
The
WiscoTrader
Providing Fair Trade News and Views You Won’t Find In Mainstream
Media
October
10th, 2005
~
Issue 21
~ What’s After CAFTA? AFTA.
In
this Issue
- The Andean
Free Trade Agreement (AFTA)
- Take Action:
Contact Congress on AFTA
- Trade News You Can Use
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Upcoming Trade Events
What’s
After CAFTA? AFTA.
Much like CAFTA, the Andean Free Trade Agreement
(AFTA) continues the race to the basement on trade. Negotiating
parties include the
United States
,
Colombia
,
Ecuador
and
Peru
.
Bolivia
, currently participating as an observer, is also expected to join.
The audacity of AFTA is the willingness of the current Administration
to negotiate a free trade agreement with
Colombia
-- the country that currently leads the Western hemisphere in reported
human rights and international humanitarian law violations (Human Rights Watch, January 2004). Just under 200 unionists were
killed last year alone in
Colombia
, making it the most dangerous country in the world for unionists. For more on labor abuses, click
here.
Negotiations to
complete AFTA should be finished in November, and the the deal
could be brought before Congress as early as February. There is no good reason why a member of Congress who opposed CAFTA
should turn around and support AFTA. The rules being negotiated are
the same as those in CAFTA, and in some cases, worse.
Take
Action on AFTA
Unless we stop the
flawed approach of AFTA, NAFTA and CAFTA, we will continue to
outsource
Wisconsin
jobs, offshore Wisconsin businesses, destroy the environment, and hurt
working people everywhere.
Wisconsin
businesses can compete with anybody on the planet if there is a level
playing field, but we cannot compete when trade agreements allow other
countries to be free from basic labor rights or environmental
protections.
Negotiations on AFTA
are going on right now, and this is the time for members of Congress
to hear from constituents. Contact
your member toll free at 866-340-9281, and ask him or her to publicly
oppose AFTA unless it includes core labor and environmental
provisions.
Script:
Hello, my name is _______ and I live in the district. I'm calling to
ask Representative _______ to oppose the Andean
Free Trade Agreement, also known as AFTA. AFTA
is as bad as CAFTA. It has
the same provisions, the same language, and continues the same race to
the basement. If you
opposed CAFTA, then you should also oppose AFTA.
I’m asking you to communicate our concerns about
environmental and labor provisions to the Bush Administration.
Can I ask you: Will
the Representative publicly come out and oppose AFTA unless it
includes core labor and environmental provisions?
My address is
__________ and I’m hoping you can send me a response.
Thank you.
When
You Call:
- Ask to speak to the Trade LA, chief
of staff or legislative director.
- Tell them you are a constituent and
want to know your Representative’s position on AFTA.
Give your address, and ask for a response.
- If the Rep is opposed to the
agreement and will vote against it, thank him/her. Ask
them to send their concerns to the administration.
- If the Rep is for AFTA, urge
reconsideration. Inform the office that you intend to spread the
word that he is voting for the policy of outsourcing.
The
Good the Bad and the Ugly
The
Good: October
is National Fair Trade Month
Local businesses are
helping the Fair Trade Movement make a
Milwaukee
connection. In celebration and promotion of Fair Trade Month, the
Milwaukee
Art Museum
hosts an event on Monday, Oct.
10 that includes presentations and panel discussions by local
companies involved with and/or supporting the Fair Trade Movement. The
evening starts at
6:15 p.m.
in the museum's Lubar Auditorium, located at the north end of the
Quadracci Pavilion.
Related:
From
the Land
Festival features Fair Trade Speaker
Matt Earley from Just
Coffee, a fair trade coffee cooperative in
Madison
, is part of a green coffee buying cooperative representing 18
roasters in the
United States
and
Canada
. Just Coffee eliminates the
middleman by buying direct from growers in
Mexico
and other countries. The company pays $1.50 per pound to the growers,
compared to an average of just 70 cents per pound from other
companies. According to
Earley, “The farmers are not getting rich. I wish I could tell you
that this transforms them out of poverty overnight but it does not. It
does make sure their kids go to school, that they have medical
services and their houses in good repair,” Earley said.
The
Bad: All
that Glitters is Not Glamis Gold
Environmental groups
are fighting a controversial NAFTA suit brought against the
United States
by Glamis
Gold, a gold mining company with incorporated status in
British Columbia
and an actual corporate headquarters in
Reno
,
Nevada
. Glamis has sought to
operate an open-pit gold mine in
California
using cyanide-heap leaching technology.
While Glamis is
incorporated in
Canada
, it has no operations, or offices, in that country.
The company filed its NAFTA suit in 2003 after California took
legislative action requiring clean-up operations that the company
claims would make its planned mine in southeastern California
"uneconomic."
According to Graham
Saul at Friends of the Earth Canada, "Although there are more
mining companies incorporated in
Canada
than in any other country in the world, many of these companies don't
have mining operations in
Canada
. Their physical presence consists of little more than a post office
box at their lawyer's office in
Vancouver
. Mining companies shouldn't be allowed to wrap themselves in the
Canadian flag for the purposes of undermining environmental
policy."
The
Ugly: Our
Administration Takes a step back on Labor Provisions from Puru’s
Position
According to the
National Journal, Democrats were given a boost when Peruvian President
Alejandro Toledo, on a visit to
Washington
to tout AFTA, appeared to endorse labor rights. He said in meetings
with members of Congress and the business community that his nation
would abide by International Labor Organization core labor standards
if they were within the text of the trade agreement. But sources said
Toledo
’s position was not acceptable to Republicans in
America
.
House
Ways and Means Chairman Thomas quickly made known to
Toledo
that he disagreed with his
comments. And the Bush
administration is unlikely to accept language that enshrines ILO
principles in the text of a trade agreement, on the grounds that to do
so would expose the
United States
to more scrutiny.
Toledo
's comments were particularly significant because during consideration
of CAFTA, Democrats made repeated claims that CAFTA countries, if
asked, would have agreed to include language on ILO core labor
standards. But the
Democrats could not back up that claim with public statements by
Central American officials.
Thea Lee, an AFL-CIO
lobbyist, said the record of violence against trade unionists in the
Andean region -- and particularly in
Colombia
-- made it important that labor protections in the Andean pact be
stronger than those in CAFTA.
Trade
News You Can Use
House
Democrats Wary Of AFTA Trade Pact
Rep. Sander Levin (MI) said he was discouraged by the
administration’s failure to back tougher labor standards in the
Andean pact (AFTA) after Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo voiced
his support for them. “The
Peruvian president said right off the bat that it was important for
workers to have their rights … It was clear as day.
There’s this basic issue that has to be worked out and yet
they haven’t,” said Levin, who holds substantial sway in the
Democratic caucus on trade issues.
U.S.
Warns Ecuador Of Possible AFTA Exclusion Over Labor
The
U.S.
warned
Ecuador
in mid-September that it risks being excluded from a free trade
agreement with
Colombia
,
Ecuador
and
Peru
unless it undertakes labor rights reforms, according to informed
sources. That message was delivered at the last round of FTA
negotiations held in
Cartagena
,
Colombia
in mid-September, they said. The
U.S.
made it clear that without such labor reforms it is not confident that
Ecuador
could meet the obligations of a future FTA with respect to labor, said
one official familiar with the talks.
New
CAFTA Damage Report Tracks Results Of CAFTA Vote In Key Districts
Public Citizen's
Global Trade Watch has announced the launch of the CAFTA Damage
Report, an on-going series of reports that track the consequences of
the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in districts where
members of Congress voted for the agreement despite opposition from
constituents or their own misgivings.
The group is investigating how the public was betrayed, and
what the costs will be for all of us, with our new series.
You can Take
action and contact your congressperson with your
disappointment over CAFTA's passage.
Website
Launched to Keep Congressman Accountable for his CAFTA Vote
The site
documents Congressman Mark Green’s deciding vote in
July to approve a Bush-based outsourcing deal (CAFTA) that will send
more
Wisconsin
jobs overseas. Joe Wineke, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin,
asked: “The question now is – what promises or special
favors did Mark Green get in exchange for his vote? What did
Mark Green ask for – a personal favor, or fundraising help for his
campaign for Governor?” CAFTA
is expected to be one of the top tier issues during the 2006
congressional cycle.
House
Agriculture Committee "Is Becoming More And More
Protectionist"
A Congressional aide
told a forum sponsored by the American Bar Association that the
committee "needs far more persuasion when it comes to the
benefits of free trade agreements” according to Washington Trade
Daily (10/3). After each election, "pro-trade sentiments
diminish" on the committee and selling a WTO agreement on
agriculture to the lawmakers "will be difficult."
Feingold
for Prez? He’s Not Saying
When Russ Feingold
comes to
Bangor
,
Wis.
, on Sunday morning for a constituent listening session, it’s not
just as
Wisconsin
’s junior senator. The maverick Democrat now is an undeclared
presidential candidate for 2008, having just finished a swing through
New Hampshire
, an early primary state. His speech was broadcast nationwide by
C-SPAN cable as part of its “Road to the White House” series.
Feingold continues to make trade a top issue, saying
“We’ve got to make sure it’s a strong message about
stopping job loss due to bad trade agreements, getting a real plan for
energy independence, and changing this horrible deficit the Bush
Administration has built up.”
State
Agency Receives $3.3 million for Assistance for Dislocated Worker
Services
Wisconsin has been awarded an additional $3,293,952 by the US
Department of Labor in Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) funds to
increase the opportunities for job training, job search and relocation
assistance to workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign trade.
The funds will ensure that workers continue to receive reemployment
services during the difficult period following a layoff and can access
training for career opportunities in growing industries. The services,
administered by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD), are
available through local Job Centers.
Barrett
Heads To China: Trip
Reflects View On Trade
In his previous job
as a congressman, Barrett opposed key free-trade agreements, including
the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement with
Mexico
and
Canada
and the congressional vote on
China
's 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization. Organized labor and a
broad swath of voters oppose both treaties. "We have to make sure
that we're not an economic ostrich," Barrett said, speaking at a
breakfast briefing at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of
Commerce, which is orchestrating the mayor's agenda.
China
, one of the fastest growing economies on the planet, rapidly has
risen to the No. 4 destination for
Wisconsin
exports behind
Canada
,
Mexico
and
Japan
. "It's not popular for an elected official to go to
China
," said MMAC President Tim Sheehy, who will help lead the
mission.
WTO
Condemns U.S. Subsidies Given to Exporters
The World Trade
Organization panel decision over
U.S.
federal tax subsidies for exporters has found in favor of the European
Union on all counts. In May 2003 WTO arbitrators authorized the
European Union to impose trade sanctions at the level of $4 billion -
the estimated value of the subsidy in 2000 - by increasing the customs
duties on certain selected
U.S.
products up to 100 percent.
Outsourcing
Is The Foreign Policy "That Most Upsets Americans"
"Although 78
percent of Americans feel strongly that the government is failing to
prevent American jobs from moving overseas," they also believe it
is "unrealistic" to think that "U.S. companies will
keep jobs in the United States when labor is cheaper elsewhere,"
said Daniel Yankelovich about results of a poll he conducted this June
for Foreign Affairs.
The 78% of Americans who "give the government
a mediocre or failing grade for its inability to keep American jobs
from moving overseas" is a lower level of support than for any
other
U.S.
foreign policy Yankelovich tested. In a separate poll, USA Today
says (10/4) that 69% of Americans believe that "boycotting
products and services from companies that actively send jobs overseas
influences companies;" only 22% of respondents disagreed.
Upcoming
Trade Events
October –
Nationwide: Fair
Trade Month 2005 - Celebrate Fair Trade Month and help
raise consumer awareness across the nation.
10/10 –
Milwaukee
: Celebrate Fair Trade with a Video and Presentation at
6:15 pm
in the
Milwaukee
Art Museum
, Lubar Auditorium. The
event will kick off with the screening of a documentary-type
videohighlighting the relationship between Alterra Coffee Roasters and
Kulantik, a Fair Trade Certified cooperative comprised of indigenous
Mayan farmers in southern
Mexico
. Afterwards, attendees will be invited to sample a variety of Fair
Trade Certified products offered by Outpost, Alterra, and Rishi. For
more information, please contact Al Liu at aliu@alterracoffee.com
or 414.273.3747.
10/10 --
Rockford
,
IL
: Coffee Talk: Fair trade
at the New Fair-Trade Store at
7:30 pm
at
201 Seventh Street
. Tour the building and preview the merchandise. We will try to have
someone from Ten Thousand Villages give an overview of fair trade
& the items. You may meet our new store manager, as well. Coffee
Talks are free and open to the public. Fair-traded organic and
delicious coffee provided. Coffee Talks are sponsored by Rockford
Peace & Justice Action Committee with an assist from Rockford
Urban Ministries, the Social Responsibilities Committee of the
Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford, and friends of the late
George LaForest and Rev. John Breck. Contact: Peaceman50@aol.com
10/11 –
Stillwater
,
MN
: Talk on
China
trade: "
Minnesota
's China Strategy" is the subject of the next Conversations of
the Valley, a public affairs lunch forum sponsored by the St. Croix
Valley Community Foundation. The program will be held from
11:30 a.m.
to
1 p.m.
Tuesday at the Lowell Inn,
Stillwater
. Guest speaker is Tony Lorusso, director of the Minnesota Trade
Office and a key figure in organizing
Minnesota
's trade delegation to
China
in November 2005. Cost of the lunch and program is $15. To make a
reservation, call the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation
information and reservation line at 651-430-3830.
10/13 to 10/15 --
Milwaukee
: Catholic Archdiocese Education Conference.
10/22-1-/23 –
Central Wisconsin
: From
the Land Folk Art Festival at the homestead farm of Jan
and Ray Londowski at W1648 County Trunk J.
10/27 to 10/29 -- WAEE Fall Conference 2005.
"EE History in Action". Celebrating 30 Years of
Environmental Education in
Wisconsin
.
UW-Madison
Pyle
Center
. For more information contact Dolly Ledin at daledin@wisc.edu
11/3 to 11/5 –
Fond du Lac
: Wisconsin Institute conference at
Marian
College
. http://www.uwsp.edu/history/WIPCS/WIPCS1.htm
11/4 –
Milwaukee
: CTA will organize a rally related to stopping sweatshops. They
are looking for suggestions from
Milwaukee
organizers on targets for the event. If you have suggestions, contact
Mauro Pineda at 773-404-0004 x7 or mauro@cta-usa.org
National
Events
October –
Nationwide: Fair
Trade Month 2005 - Celebrate Fair Trade Month and help
raise consumer awareness across the nation.
10/31 to 11/7 –
Guatemala
: Central American and Women's Congress Activists Delegation.
Join more than 100 Central American and Caribbean Women leaders as
they generate strategies to deal with the impact of CAFTA.
Contact Ana Perez for more information at ana@globalexchange.org
12/13 to 12/15 —Hong
Kong Fair Trade Symposium. After a highly successful
Fair Trade Fair and Sustainable Trade Symposium at the WTO Ministerial
in Cancún 2003 (archives), a
coalition of organizations will hold a similar event in
Hong Kong
for the sixth WTO ministerial in December 2005. More at www.fairtradeexpo.org
Events
2006
January 2006 --
Caracas
: Polycentric 6th World Social Forum -
Americas
Chapter and the 2nd
Americas
Social Forum.
April 2006 –
Minneapolis
: SweatFree Communities Annual Conference,
April 7-9, 2006
. Learn sweatfree organizing skills and strategize together with
activists from across the
U.S.
and beyond. Check out the report from our 2005 conference here...
If
you like our newsletter, please forward it on to others in the trade
movement and ask them to subscribe at www.citizenstrade.org/lists.
We’ll never give up your email address. To join the
Wisconsin
Fair
Trade Coalition, contact agussert@charter.net.
WFTC
~
3129
Hermina Street
~
Madison
WI
53714
Tel 608.237.1659 ~ Fax 608.442.1439 ~ www.wiscotrader.org
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