Dear NJ State AFL-CIO E-Activist,

Worker and Human Rights Protections Must First be Established in Colombia:
Instead Congress Should Focus on America's Economy & Repair Existing Flawed Trade Deals

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO urges its Congressional delegation to vote 'NO' if the Columbia Free Trade Agreement is posted for a vote.  We commend Speaker Pelosi and members of the House of Representatives that voted on April 10, 2008, to remove the timetable that forces Congress to take up the trade bill within 90 legislative days. This is a good first step, but Congress must still hear from you regarding our opposition to this trade agreement.  To send an automatic pre-written letter to your member of the House of Representatives, visit: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/no_colombia_trade_deal.

"Congress must focus on addressing the economic concerns and insecurity of Americans and they must repair existing flawed trade deals like NAFTA before considering further free trade expansions" said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech.  "Strong and enforceable labor protections in the agreement are an absolute requirement," continued Wowkanech.  "Labor protections in the Peru treaty were only a first step, because it lacked strong enforcement and procurement language.  We can not continue down this path with the Columbia Free Trade Agreement."

In Columbia, joining a union can be a de facto death sentence. Twelve unionists advocating for a workers right to organize were murdered this year alone; and 39 were murdered in 2007, with over 224 receiving death threats.  Roughly 2,550 unionists have been murdered in Columbia since 1986. Since 2001, only 68 cases have resulted in convictions, and in only half of those cases were the murderers actually taken into custody. 

There should be no consideration of the Columbia FTA until workers can freely exercise their fundamental labor rights and do so without fear of violence and murder.