[mobglob-discuss] FTAA Update Vol. 3 No.38

Fri Oct 3 19:40:14 PDT 2003

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In this Update:
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Zoellick in Central America
Tours Begin the Road to Miami
VOTE NO FTAA
Resources
In Conclusion
Materials to Order

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Zoellick in Central America
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This week saw the US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick head
into Central America, putting on pressure over the CAFTA
(Central American Free Trade Agreement). With talks on-going
toward a goal of completing the agreement before the end of the
year, and with major issues of contention (agriculture is a big
one) yet to be resolved, the arm-twisting has begun in earnest.

The obvious goal is to erase the memory of the "Collapse in
Cancun" and try to regain momentum toward the FTAA Ministerial
in November. But with agriculture the central issue of the G21
opposition to the process in Cancun, and with 2 of those
countries being part of the 5 country CAFTA process (Costa Rica
and Guatemala) after El Salvador was the only country to back
down from the G21 in Cancun - there is clearly lots of pressure
and lots of opposition.

Labor Rights violations, which have in the past been resolved by
pressure over access to the US market, continue in many Central
American Countries. The negotiated access in the General System
of Preferences will expire in 2004, and the exporters (many part
of the textile trade) will lose their access to the US market. 

But the Bush administration is pushing hard on Costa Rica to
privatize their electricity, and to open their
telecommunications sector to foreign companies, and there is
widespread opposition. The utility is seen as a gem, in a
country that in the last 10 + years has been pressured to
privatize their health care, and social security systems with
negative results.

Meanwhile, Harken Energy is suing Costa Rica in a World Bank
Tribunal for 57 Billion US dollars over a failed investment. In
2002 the efforts to develop oil drilling on the Caribbean coast
were shut down over a failed environmental impact
report/abatement. At the time their actual investment was 16
million dollars. The amount of the suit is 3 times the annual
gross domestic product of the country.

Next two rounds of talks are scheduled in the US, with a goal of
completion of the agreement before the end of 2003.

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Tours Begin the Road to Miami
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With the Miami Ministerial of the FTAA less than 2 months away,
many people are already on their way. The Alliance for
Sustainable Jobs and the Environment (ASJE) began their March to
Miami from the site of the Battle in Seattle. Their tour,
linking the environmental and economic havoc of the trade
agreements as we know them, will be in their bus and on the road
for the next 6 weeks.

You can read more about their March (it is in bus), donate, or
see if they are coming to your town for great rallies, and
teach-ins:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/S1qNNmd1td1M/

The Taco Bell Truth Tour is also back on the road with the
Mexico Solidarity Network and other partners. The agricultural
workers here in the US are under the same pressure as family
farmers and small producers worldwide. The effort to achieve 1
Penny more per pound of tomatoes from Taco Bell - for these
Florida based workers has been on-going. Read more:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/z7qNNmd1td1_/ 

National Labor Committee has brought fired maquiladora workers
and is doing a tour about working conditions in the export
processing zones. Details are available at:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/zpqNNmd1td1A/

There are other tours, and ways to hook into the great resources
who are out and about to teach about the impacts of the FTAA on
the way to Miami.

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VOTE NO FTAA
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While we talk about the FTAA it is important to get numbers of
votes against the FTAA as part of the Consulta. Whether people
vote on-line or on a paper ballot, the important thing is to get
the word out about the FTAA and why we need to stop it. You can
vote at the CWA site:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/S7qNNmd1td12/

The United Auto Workers have already collected 175,000 votes no
on the FTAA! The AFL-CIO, Citizens Trade Campaign, Jobs with
Justice, Mexico Solidarity Network and other groups all have
ballot campaigns going. There is a big push to mobilize ballot
collection around the Columbus Day holiday in 10 days. So vote,
tell people about the FTAA, and get them involved too.

Brazil mobilized 10 million voters in 10 days last year, we need
to stay focused on this part of the campaign and spread the
word.

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Resources
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Materials and video tapes are available to help hold meetings
and explain the FTAA, and trade and why we need to get involved
to stop the current model of free trade. NAFTA will shortly
celebrate its 10th anniversary, and while the subject has become
part of the discussion amongst the Democratic candidates for
President - we need to continue to educate mobilize.

The CWA website has materials and information at:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/S7qNNmd1td12/

The AFL-CIO has materials and flyers that you can customize on
10 different subjects with details on how that specific group
will be affected. 

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/qdqNNmd1t1zV/

Citizen's Trade Campaign has information and materials and great
resources on what we are in favor of, not just what we are
opposed to! 

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/SdqNNmd1td1N/

Florida Fair Trade Coalition is helping organize in Miami, and
as part of the coalition style outreach that is why this model
of organizing is essential to reaching all constituency groups.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/SpqNNmd1td1w/

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In Conclusion
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This is the final FTAA Update that I will be writing for a
while. The Newspaper Guild part of CWA has asked me to assist
with a contract campaign mobilization in St. Louis and I will be
moving there to assist them. Thanks for all your comments and
information, ideas and facts over the last 2 1/2 years of the
FTAA Updates. The CWA work against the FTAA and CAFTA and GATS
will continue, and we will win in Miami! We need Fair Trade not
Free Trade, for the workers here in the US and for the people
around the world who are being hurt by the current trade
policies.

La Lucha Sigue (the Fight Continues) Hasta La Victoria Siempre
(On to the Victory, Always).

Carrie Biggs-Adams

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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/q1qNNmd1t1zZ/. 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/apqNNmd1td1z/.

Unfortunately these tapes are only available to CWA members and
locals. 

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/z1qNNmd1td1S/ .
______________________________________________________________________
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