[mobglob-discuss] CWA FTAA Update Vol. 3 No. 19

Fri May 16 11:29:38 PDT 2003

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In this Update: 
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Click here to sign up to receive the FTAA Update directly
and Join the CWA International Activists List:
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/JpqNNmd1xp1c/

FTAA Ballot - You Can Vote Now 
GMOs - You Are What You Eat! 
IMF, World Bank and WTO Join Forces 
Investmentwatch 
Meetings Ahead 
Materials to Order 

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FTAA Ballot - You Can Vote Now 
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CWA, the AFL-CIO, other unions, Jobs with Justice,
and other allied groups are all generating FTAA Ballots,
so that you and millions of Americans can vote NO FTAA.
The ballots are postcards, both electronic and physical,
and the goal is to have hundreds of thousands of votes
(millions would be nice!) to give to US Trade Representative
Zoellick and the other 33 ministers at the Miami Ministerial.

Vote on-line here: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/D1qNNmd1xp1B/

Please vote (once only) and urge your friends to vote
too. The goals are to educate people about the FTAA,
what it is and how it will affect them - then to get
them involved, and telling other people. Remember in
Brazil more than 10 million people voted in 10 days
in September 2002! Saying No to the FTAA by over 98%.

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GMOs - You Are What You Eat! 
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GMOs - are genetically modified organisms - and they
have become a big issue between the US and the European
Union. The US and our major agribusiness corporations
want the EU to accept the GMO food to eat, and since
1998 the EU has been "studying" the issue and not allowing
the genetically changed food into their countries.
After laws were passed to keep GMO foods out-are not
grown in the EU (25% of the products grown in the US
are GMO - 75% of the soy, 34% of the corn, and 71%
of cotton are biotech crops). 

Since the GMO products are not grown in the EU not
allowing their import either is not discriminatory
- but the US is announced this week the filing of a
WTO case to force an end to the moratorium. These cases
begin with 60 days of consultation, are then pushed
through hearings at the World Trade Organization. The
US Secretary of Agriculture said as part of the announcement
of the case: "we are fighting for the interests of
American agriculture". USTR Zoellick called the ban:
"Luddite". 

With the US facing a strong push on the FSC (Foreign
Sales Corporation) case already lost at the WTO - where
the fines are $4 BILLION - and where the US Congress
has not started to move on changing US tax structure
to comply - some reports suggest the sudden push for
the GMO case is to divert attention from the case the
US lost several years ago in the WTO but hasn't yet
resolved. The EU has given the US until the fall to
make progress or they intend to start applying the
sanctions against US products. 

Global actions against the US position include "genespotting
week" more information on the web at: 

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/KpqNNmd1xp1t/ 

There are also some nice resources and graphics under
"Agrocadabra", you are what you eat - so learn more
about what is being put in your food! 

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IMF, World Bank and WTO Join Forces 
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This week saw the IMF (International Monetary Fund)
the World Bank and the WTO (World Trade Organization)
meet to develop the "coherence agenda". These groups
have coordinated before, but the "coherence agenda"
is an effort to push trade "flexibility" into the mix
of aid for developing countries. 40 groups signed a
letter of protest, saying that the "coherence agenda"
will put even more power into the hands of the developed
countries. 

Read more about the efforts to more closely synchronize
these 3 groups at: 

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/J7qNNmd1xp1d/ 

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Investmentwatch 
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A new resource is now available to people and groups
working on the issues of Investment and the WTO. Groups
worried that the next area of interest for the WTO
will be a round of world-wide negotiations on Investment
(and how money can come and go from countries, with
out restrictions) have formed a great new web resource.
At the moment it looks like 2003 is the year of Agribusiness,
but back up on the agenda, soon, for the WTO and friends
will be unrestricted movement of capital. Take a look
at, and bookmark: 

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Z1qNNmd1xp1g/ 

You don't need to be an expert to understand the site,
check it out! 

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Meetings Ahead 
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There are lots of meetings starting to appear on the
calendars world-wide, many in the area of agriculture.

June 20-25 will see mobilization in Sacramento, California
as government ministers from180 countries, the Bush
Administration and Agribusiness hold a gathering. Read
more about the plans at: 

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/KdqNNmd1xp1v/ 

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Materials to Order 
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Trade Secrets: The Hidden Costs of the FTAA 
"Trade Secrets: The Hidden Costs of the FTAA" is a
new 16 minute video tape from the perspective of labor
on the FTAA. Narrated by Mike Farrell, it covers the
NAFTA Chapter 11 cases on UPS, and Methanex' attack
on California's environmental laws banning MTBE from
gasoline, and how the FTAA will affect us. There is
also a set of fact sheets and great interactive role
play on the impacts on the public and private sectors
of the FTAA.  

The materials come from the UC Berkeley Center for
Labor Research and Education. You can reach Producer
Jeremy Blasi at (510) 642-1583, email: blasi at uclink.berkeley.edu,
or visit http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/-dqNNmd1xp1w/.
The packets, including the video and curriculum guide,
cost $15 each (shipping costs included); or $10 each
for orders of 10 or more and $7.50 each for orders
of 50 or more (plus shipping - contact for cost). Make
out a check to "UC Regents" and send it to: Att: Jeremy
Blasi, UC Berkeley Labor Center, 2521 Channing Way,
Berkeley, CA 94720. 

Trading Democracy - Moyers videos 
The issues of transparency - and NAFTA Chapter 11 are
well explained in Bill Moyers' Reports: Trading Democracy.
The impact is carried further when you remember that
the same "lack of transparency" (as in secret courts
make the decisions) are included in the Chile and FTAA
agreements. 

Order a copy of the video - $7 each and watch it -
share the stories of Metalclad - where $16 million
was paid by Mexico after losing a case; and the pending
MTBE case in California where the claim is for $970
million against the US. This may be ordered at: 
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/DdqNNmd1xp1X/.  

Talking Trade Order 
Free copies of our publication: "CWA Talking Trade,
Taking a Stand for Justice" may be ordered on our website
by clicking on the following:
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/D7qNNmd1xp14/.
______________________________________________________________________
For more information - check out our website. Or contact:
Carrie Biggs-Adams 
International Affairs Representative 
Communications Workers of America 
cbiggs-adams at cwa-union.org 
(202) 434-1147 For legislative information contact:

T Santora 
CWA Legislative Representative 
tsantora at cwa-union.org 
(202) 434-1315 P.S. You can update your subscription
information at: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/-pqNNmd1xp1x/
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