Urgent Action Needed on CAFTA!

A decade ago, the U.S. Congress traded away our economic future with back-room deals and passed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since then over 700,000 jobs have been lost in the U.S. and 8 million more people in Mexico are living in poverty. The proposed Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will extend this nightmare to 6 more nations. 

In the Senate,  CAFTA passed  in a very close 54-45 vote on June 30th.  WE HAVE NOT LOST!  This was the closest Senate vote on a trade pact since NAFTA.  The bill still has to pass the House, where opposition to CAFTA is much stronger.   We have always known that we will have to defeat CAFTA in the House, not the Senate. 

CAFTA came out of the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, in a 24-11 vote.  The House is expected to vote on CAFTA sometime after the week-long 4th of July recess. Representatives should be in their districts until Congress begins again on July 11th.   Please take some time during the next week to educate your representatives about what you think about CAFTA!  Now is the time to act! 

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I urge you to oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

CAFTA is another flawed trade deal that will sell out America's jobs--and it will do nothing to lift Central American and Dominican workers out of poverty.

CAFTA is just like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)--a failure. NAFTA has cost the United States close to 1 million real and potential jobs and has not reduced poverty or inequality in Mexico.

Flawed trade deals like CAFTA have devastated our communities as companies close or export their jobs and millions of skilled workers cannot find jobs that pay living wages. Right now we are losing jobs because of bad trade deals in every sector that is open to trade competition, from lumber and aerospace to clothing. CAFTA won't help--CAFTA will make it worse.

You have the opportunity to take a stand for workers in our state and in Central America and the Dominican Republic.

Please oppose CAFTA. I am counting on you.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 01, 2005


Background Information

What You Need to Know About CAFTA:

Workers and their allies are fighting to stop the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), signed May 28, 2004, by the United States and six Central American countries. Although the Agreement has already been signed, it still needs a vote in Congress to be implemented.  The Senate has already voted yes on CAFTA, now it is up to us to make sure that our Representatives vote it down in the House.

If approved, CAFTA would eliminate tariffs from the United States, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It would extend to Central America the disastrous job loss and environmental damage caused by 10 years of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). U.S. workers lost 879,280 jobs and real wages in Mexico have fallen as a result of NAFTA in the past 10 years, according to the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute.

A recent report by Human Rights Watch has highlighted how workers in Central America are often denied such basic rights as the right to organize and bargain collectively. Yet, the Bush administration has refused to include workers' rights in CAFTA.

Act Now to Stop CAFTA!