Statement of Debbie Schneider, Representative of Change to Win and Director, Global Organizing Partnerships, SEIU, at a Protest Against the Colombian Free Trade Agreement

May 2, 2007

I’m here on behalf of the 6 million workers in the Change to Win Federation, standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the trade union movement in Colombia.

We are deeply humbled by the profoundly dangerous conditions that we heard about from Gerardo and Marino, which union workers and citizens face in Colombia every day. Murders, death threats, arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, and harassment are an every day reality there. Such brutal suppression of basic worker rights tears at the fabric of families, communities and unions.

More union leaders are killed each year in Colombia than in the rest of the world combined. Just since Colombian President Uribe took office in 2002, there have been 400 murders of trade unionist. Of these 400, the administration has made only 10 convictions. Uribe’s administration admits that it is incapable of enforcing even basic labor rights law.

Adding insult to such injustice, the Bush Administration wants to reward the government responsible for letting those conditions persist by signing a so-called Free Trade Agreement with Colombia.

Change to Win unions have had enough of the killing of trade unionists in Colombia. And we’ve had enough of job killing trade deals negotiated by the Bush and Clinton Administrations and approved by Congress.

It is unthinkable that the Democratic Congress would even consider a trade agreement with Colombia right now given the horrible abuses of human rights and workers’ rights there. The Colombia FTA never should have been initiated. It is time to terminate it.

President Uribe, when you can show us that your government has severed all ties with paramilitary organizations, which have strong links to your military and politicians, then maybe we can talk about negotiating a FAIR trade deal.

President Uribe, when you can show that your government is capable of guaranteeing the safety and security of Colombia’s unions and workers, then maybe discussions about a FAIR trade deal can begin.

President Uribe, when your government can show that it can bring murderers and thugs to justice for killing trade unionists then maybe a FAIR trade deal that benefits workers in both our countries can be agreed to.

But until that time, your time has run out on getting a trade agreement with the United States.