Change To Win Opposes Colombia Free Trade Agreement, Demands Congress Reject Pact

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 8, 2008

CONTACT: Greg Denier
Noreen Nielsen
(202) 721-0660

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win sent a letter to all members of the United States Congress today demanding they reject the Colombia Free Trade Agreement that President Bush sent to Congress and has promised to sign, despite strong opposition expressed by the Democratic leadership. Congress has 90 days to act on the Colombia trade deal.

“So-called ‘free’ trade agreements like Colombia, which encourage the off-shoring of U.S. jobs, is one of the major reasons that a majority of the public sees the American Dream slipping away for themselves and their children,” said Change to Win chair Anna Burger in the letter. “The combination of ongoing assassinations, death threats, and violence against family members creates a climate of fear for trade unionists that makes it impossible for them to fully exercise their rights to organize, bargain collectively, go on strike, or criticize the government. Congress should reject the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.”

Colombia remains the most dangerous country in the world for union members. More than 2,500 workers have been murdered for trying to form unions since 1991 – more than 500 since the beginning of President Uribe’s administration – and thousands more have been attacked, threatened and detained. Yet the Colombian government has done nothing to effectively stop death squads from murdering workers for trying to form unions.

The Colombia Free Trade Agreement is modeled after the same flawed language found in NAFTA and CAFTA, which primarily benefits multinational corporations and CEOs, and has resulted in the loss of over one million American jobs, environmental degradation, and the decimation of family farms.

Change to Win ran an ad campaign last month demanding Congress protect workers by rejecting the Colombia Free Trade Agreement due to the brutal oppression and violence workers face for fighting for the right to have a voice on the job.

** Note: Media representatives interested in scheduling an interview to discuss Change to Win’s position on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement should contact Noreen Nielsen at Noreen.nielsen@changetowin.org. PDF copies of the letter and the print advertisement are also available via the links above. **