The Washington Fair Trade Coalition works to empower the people of Washington State to take action for a fair global trading system.

May 27^th Day of Action Against Mining and Bad Trade Agreements-Target: McDermott

Take to the streets with the WFTC, Seattle CISPES and the Anti-Mining Coalition on May 27^th at 4:00pm at Westlake Center for the International Day of Action to protest Pacific Rim’s CAFTA lawsuit against El Salvador and to call on Rep. McDermott to reform US trade policy which allows companies to sue countries which enforce their environmental laws.

Proceedings begin on May 31^st in this case that will try the rights of investors to sue a country under a trade act when their practices violate the laws of that country-however they still feel entitled to profits. WFTC will be using this as an opportunity to educate on the need for real trade reform and the need to pass the TRADE Act.

Join us for lively street theater and actions at both the Canadian Consulate and Rep. Jim McDermott’s Seattle Downtown Office. While he waits, El Salvador is using its very limited resources to defend its own environmental laws in an international tribunal, taking money away from the development of its people.

'Nobody in Congress doubts that I support everything in this bill (TRADE Act HR 3012),' Rep McDermott explained during our meeting at his Seattle office on April 30^th. Yet despite the tens of thousands of people, unions, social justice, environmental and faith based groups in his district and throughout WA State calling for him to co-sponsor the TRADE Act through hundreds of postcards, letters, phone calls and in-person meetings, Rep. McDermott still has not co-sponsored the TRADE Act. That is why members of WSLC, IAM District 715 (Machinists), SEIU Local 6, SPEEA, IBEW Local 46, Sierra Club, Seattle CISPES, Temple Beth Am and the Washington Fair Trade Coalition had come to ask Rep. McDermott to make public his support for trade reform.

Rep. McDermott agreed with everyone at the meeting that current trade policy is broken, and that trade policy and immigration reform, economic recovery and job creation are intertwined. However the 20 year veteran of the US Congress, who is not facing a difficult re-election this year, who could use his power to inspire voters throughout the state of WA, that future trade will not be on the backs of workers, farmers, human rights and the environment, Rep. McDermott is instead taking a 'wait and see approach.'

Wait and see...while Pacific Rim sues the country of El Salvador under Chapter 10 of CAFTA, wait and see while manufacturing jobs continue to be outsourced, wait and see while thousands of workers from Mexico and Central America are forced to migrate to the US in search of work, wait and see while the people of Peru are losing their land, wait and see while the Obama Administration moves forward on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, embarked on by former President Bush, involving countries with little or no rights for workers, environmental protections, or respect for human rights.

During the meeting Rep. McDermott spoke more about political maneuvering than showing the way to real trade reform. He claimed to not want to be seen as too radical on this issue, even though he would be in the company of 137 of his colleagues (now 141), the majority of his party, including those on his own committee Ways and Means.

The simple message that we brought to the meeting with Rep. McDermott, was that he is elected by the people of his district to represent their interests, and at the moment he is not doing that and we do not understand why. We walked out of the meeting with this question unanswered.

After 15years of fall-out from NAFTA, on the brink of the trade negotiations between the US and almost all of the countries that make up the Pacific Rim, with a faltering economy that is pitting foreign born and US workers for a limited pool of work-Trade Reform can not wait any longer.

We will continue our efforts to 'make' Representative McDermott be the leader that he says that he is on trade reform by co-sponsoring the TRADE Act, to enable the promise of prosperity through trade to benefit everyone in WA State and throughout the world.

De-valuing People, De-valuing Currency-China suppressing economic growth of its people

In April, the US Department of Treasury put out its list of countries that manipulate their currency, distorting its exchange rate with the dollar. China was noticeably not on this list despite increasing pressure from Congress to acknowledge China's role in undervaluing its own currency to flood the US market with inexpensive products, while making it increasingly difficult for small to mid-sized US companies and developing countries throughout the world to export to China.

For most people working on trade, China's suppression of worker's rights is well known. However, with the cost of labor anywhere from 1-3% of the retail price of a product, low wages are not the entire reason why Chinese products continue to be so inexpensive compared to domestic counter-parts.

As the economy of a country develops and exports increase, their currency should become more valuable, enabling people in their country to have more buying power, and for a middle class to develop. However, China has tightly pegged its currency to the US dollar at a rate that encourages a surplus with the US and then it uses that surplus to buy US dollars and subsidize its exports by as much as 40%.

This causes the US debt to China to continue to appreciate, while US manufacturers still producing in the US, have an unviable market in China. However, US corporations continue to flood into China to exploit the 'cheap labor' and provide a cheap export back into the US.

In March, over 130 US Congressional Representatives on both sides of the aisle sent a letter to Timothy Geitner calling for an investigation into China's practice of devaluing their currency.  Senators Graham and Schumer have introduced a bill, S. 295, that will "level the playing field" with China.

The next time the US Department of Treasury puts out its list of currency manipulators is July. However this issue is going to be a high priority at the G-20 meetings in June. There has been a reluctance to call China out on this issue, despite the estimated 2 million jobs that have been lost in the US because of this practice in the last decade alone and China's response to this issue only when sanctions have been brought in the past.

However, when an estimated 1 million jobs could be created in the US-it seems the time for quiet diplomacy is coming to an end.

For more information: http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/pm164/

Springing into Trade Reform with the WFTC!

WFTC has engaged in many actions in April and May- educating on the TRADE Act, linking bad trade policies to forced migration and human rights, engaging Fair Trade commodity consumers to be active on changing policy, and asking tough questions of USTR Assistant of Environmental Department during his visit to Seattle.

Tax Day, WFTC was joined by Rainforest Action Network, Climate SOS, SEEDS, SHARE, Food Not Bombs, El Comite, Jobs with Justice, and our fabulous group of Chase Divestors to send a strong message that we in WA State need to 'divest from big banks' and 'invest in community.' There will be more actions upcoming in July so stay tuned.

WFTC also endorsed the May Day march in Seattle with an estimated 20,000 activists calling for Immigration Reform. We tracked forced immigration to its source in countries such as Mexico which are reeling from exploitative trade policy. Trade justice is an integral part of comprehensive immigration reform! We were also part of the dedication of the University of WA Human Rights Center and joined other fair trade folks to celebrate World Fair Trade Day. Then on Mother's Day we joined WFTC member UFCW Local 21 for their weekend of actions supporting workers-especially moms as they enter into contract negotiations.

WFTC Thanks Allan Paulson and Welcomes Tom Buchanan and Phelia Lorenzen

Allan Paulson has served the WFTC as Treasurer for the past 3 years. Very much a behind the scenes role, he has kept the WFTC on track financially, which is not always so easy. However, during his tenure the WFTC budget has expanded.  His dedication has enabled the WFTC to continued important work on trade.

WFTC welcomes Board member at-large Tom Buchanan (Temple Beth Am and Machinists), as the new WFTC Treasurer and Phelia Lorenzen as our new bookkeeper. WFTC is fortunate to have their talents and the generosity in which they share them!  Thank you.

Support Immigration Reform! Support the TRADE Act!

Join the WFTC, El Comite, the WA Immigrants Rights Coalition and many others at the 10^th Annual May Day March? This year the march is a call to ‘Stop the repression of immigrant community, (and) for immigration reform with justice: Education, Healthcare and Jobs with Dignity!’ WFTC has endorsed the march and will take part in an effort to link the TRADE Act to immigration reform. Unless we reform our trade policies there will continue to be people who are forced from their countries in search of livelihoods. There can not be real immigration reform without recognizing that we are responsible for the policies that make people seek economic refuge in the US.

Saturday, May 1^st at 12:00pm at Judkins Park, 611 20th Ave S.

We will be carrying a banner and getting people to call Rep. McDermott’s District Office and Call on Him to support the TRADE Act in English and Spanish!!!

April 29^th and 30^th CALL IN TO REP. McDERMOTT!!!

Have you called Rep. McDermott to tell him why he needs to support the TRADE Act? This is the time to act. On April 30^th, members of the WFTC including CISPES, IBEW Local 46, IAM-AW District 751, SEIU Local 6, Sierra Club, SPEEA, and Washington State Labor Council will meet with Rep. McDermott in Seattle in an effort to compel him to support the TRADE Act for workers and the environment in his district as well as throughout the world. We hear that he is undecided and needs to hear from his constituency. Please on April 29^th or April 30^th (or both days!) call his district office 206.553.7170. You can leave a message with either Damian Cordova or Rebecca Saldana. Tell them:

“Our current trading system is not working for WA State residents or workers around the world and needs to be fixed. Jobs are being lost and in this economy we need to create jobs not lose them to bad trade policy.

I urge Rep. McDermott to please join his 137 colleagues and support the TRADE Act HR 3012. It calls for there to be enforceable labor and environmental standards in all US trade agreements. It is good for Seattle, for WA State and throughout the world.

It is that simple. Your effort will help set the stage for our meeting, so please send us an email to let us know that you’ve called. Thank-you for your efforts to put pressure on Rep. McDermott to be a leader on trade reform.

Has YOUR ORGANIZATION supported the TRADE Act?

Along with calls to Rep. McDermott, WFTC is circulating a sign-on letter for organizations to support the TRADE Act. Our goal is to get 150 groups to sign-on to this letter that we will present to Rep. McDermott on April 30^th. Any organization in WA State is encouraged to sign-on with special encouragement to groups and businesses in McDermott’s district.

To sign on to the letter simply email Kristen at kristen@washingtonfairtradecoalition.org and she will add you to the list. Feel free to circulate this widely.

TAX DAY Action                                On April 15^th, WFTC joined Rainforest Action Network, Climate SOS, SEEDS, Food Not Bombs, SHARE, Comite and Jobs with Justice in front of Chase Bank at Westlake to call on people in Seattle and around the State of WA to ‘Divest from Chase and Invest in Community.’ During the action, 4 people closed their accounts with Chase in protest of their continued investment in Mountain Top Mining Removal which is poisoning the water and air of communities in West Virginia. There was also a banner where people could share their own message with Chase about their dangerous economic practices including the use of tax payer ‘bail-out money’ to drive farmers off of their farms in Mexico as well as the foreclosure of people’s homes-all the while continuing to give their CEOs huge year-end bonuses. Chase told protesters the issue of MTR in their upcoming May Shareholders meeting-which is the first time they acknowledged that it was an issue that needed to be addressed.

Tax Day was an appropriate time to highlight the rights that these ‘too big to fail’ banks have over individual tax payers as they continue to ask for tax breaks and special treatment. Big banks need to be help accountable to the communities where they do business either here in WA State or throughout the world.

For more information visit:

http://understory.ran.org/2010/04/15/outraged-seattle-chase-customers-close-their-bank-accounts/

http://seattle.indymedia.org/features/actions-and-protests/60-activists-divest-from-chase

WFTC Welcomes IBEW Local 77 as New Member!

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 77 is the 47^th member of the WFTC. IBEW Local 77 is one of the oldest-over 110 years old-and largest-representing over 7,000 men and women throughout Washington, Idaho and Montana.

For more information on IBEW Local 77 visit http://www.ibew77.com/index.cfm

Does your union or organization want to become a member of the WFTC?  For more information about how to get involved contact Kristen at kristen@washingtonfairtrade.org or 206.227.3079

Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks Begin Down-Under

Melbourne, Australia hosted the first round in this newest incarnation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks. Initial dialogue of TPP, began under the Bush Administration but was halted by the Obama Administration as they sought time to develop a new policy on trade. The TPP would create a mega-FTA with Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the US. There would also be a provision that would allow other countries to join in the future.

Along with substantial feedback from AFL-CIO, Teamsters, Public Citizen and others, USTR Ron Kirk received a letter days before he left to the go to the talks, from Senators Brown, Feingold, Merkley and WA State’s own Senator Patty Murray urging policy reform that supports workers and human rights.

Australian trade activists have been using the opportunity to highlight the problems with the Australian-US FTA and there has been wide concern amongst dairy farmers in the US that entering into an agreement with New Zealand would be detrimental for their markets.

Overall the TPP would only slightly expand the economic openings for the U.S., since existing free-trade agreements with these countries already cover 86 percent of the TPP’s gross domestic product

The second round will be in June in the US, with a goal of completely discussions by a scheduled ASEAN meeting in 2011.

Natural Disaster and SweatShops          in Haiti

As earthquakes continue to devastate the people of Haiti, many people are learning for the first time how this country has been politically and economically exploited for centuries. Consecutive US Governments have used the need to ‘stabilize the Caribbean’ as a rationale for imposing ‘democratic leaders’ to rule Haiti and for implementing trade policies that claim to create economic opportunities for its people but instead create more debt and dependence.

Most recently, in 2008, the US passed the HOPE II (the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act) to spur the creation of jobs in garment manufacturing by giving garments made in Haiti tariff-free access to U.S. markets. This ‘trade preference’ is an extension of a similar policy passed in 2006, only this one will last for 10 years. In March, 2009 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Former President Bill Clinton visited Haiti and emerged with an even louder call for foreign investment in Haiti which was also echoed by the IMF and others during the Haitian Donors Conference held in April of 2009 in DC.

However the people of Haiti have their own ideas of how to address issues of poverty in their country. They are calling for the development of national industry particularly in the agricultural sector. They recognize that working in sweatshop factories for Disney and the Gap is not the way to develop their country and education their children. The people of Haiti know that these trade deals have only made them more dependent on foreign corporations and remittances from friends and family living and working outside of the country.

It is important to support the people of Haiti in this time of great need. It is also important that as the work begins rebuilding its communities, that the interests of the people of Haiti are at the fore and that trade policies are used to strengthen local Haitian industries and not create more profits for multinational corporations.

If you want more information about how to contribute to relief efforts, WFTC friends KEXP and KCBS have sites listed and opportunities to attend benefits throughout Seattle.

Visit: www.kexp.org or www.kbcs.fm

For ongoing coverage visit: www.democracynow.org 

What’s the Trade Climate in 2010?

As 2009 came to end, free trade agreements with South Korea, Columbia and Panama were still lingering. Ron Kirk with USTR was reported to be talking with unions, the automobile, meat and textile industries to move South Korea along. Obama had his first visit to South Korea and in preparation Washington State’s own Reps. Adam Smith and Dave Reichert wrote a letter that was signed by the entire WA State delegation (with the exception of Reps Jim McDermott and Jay Inslee) encouraging support for another Bush Administration Free Trade Agreement.

Also at the end of the year, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) emerged as a trade priority for the Obama Administration with growing interest in adding South Korea, Malaysia and Japan to discussions with Vietnam, Australia, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Brunei, and New Zealand set to begin in March of 2010. TPP will be the largest US trade accord since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Ron Kirk is planning a US tour to generate support for TPP, the details of which are yet unknown.

The TPP represents the first opportunity for the Obama Administration to make due on its campaign promises to reform trade policy. The TRADE Act is an important model for Obama to take into these negotiations. As it already has support from the majority of Democrats, it is sending a clear message of what needs to be in future US trade agreements to get Congressional support.

Therefore the work of the WFTC, our members and friends is to 1) insure that none of the FTAs from the Bush Era are passed 2) enable the Obama Administration to make TPP a turn-around in US trade policy 3) align the Washington State Congressional Delegation with the majority of democrats who are calling for trade reform!

It was the People’s Summit!!!

The People’s Summit (November 27^th-29^th) was a dynamic series of events, organized by the CAGJ and WFTC and Seattle Plus10 Organizing Committee, that involved over 1500 people reflecting, learning and moving to act on the most important issues of our day: climate change, trade policy, immigration reform, racism and multi-cultural organizing, independent media, food sovereignty and people’s self-determination. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the overwhelmingly successful of this event! Over 70 organizations facilitated workshops, presented in plenaries, cosponsored and endorsed the People’s Summit, which was free and open to the public.

In addition to fabulous workshops by CAGJ, Seattle CISPES, Public Citizen, the national AFL-CIO, COMITE, Tilth and many others, the WFTC educated hundreds on the TRADE Act throughout the weekend and collected almost 400 postcards targeting Rep. McDermott.

Thea Lee with the AFL-CIO, Jim Sinclair with Canadian Labor Council and Verlene Jones with MLKCLC made the final event of the People’s Summit on Sunday night at Town Hall incredibly memorable, along with the Seattle Labor Chorus, Jack Chernos, Patti Goldman with Earth Justice and Eric Holt-Gimenez with Food First and a special message by Leo Gerard.

At the People’s Summit, the WFTC also videoed people talking about the impact of trade on their lives as workers and consumers. We will be posting this on the website as soon as it is edited. Special thanks to Debbie Carlsen for her great efforts. SweatFree WA also sponsored an art display that highlighted the plight of women garment workers around the world-showing the art of Janet Essley, a Vancouver, WA based artist.

Special thanks to SPEEA, WSLC, IAM & AW District Lodge 751, MLK County Labor Council and the Pierce County Central Labor Council for generous contributions to the People’s Summit.

If you missed part or all of the People’s Summit, many of the talks and workshops were filmed! See http://seattleplus10.org/peoples-summit/audio-and-video

On November 30^th, the WFTC again postcarded at Westlake Center as part of WTO+10 activities which included Climate Justice theater organized by SEEDS and CAGJ, direct action, and a march organized by Washington Immigrant Rights Action Coalition. Special thanks to everyone who came out postcarding for their great efforts to get hundreds of folks involved in TRADE Act advocacy!

Then we rallied a delegation to march to Rep. Jim McDermott’s office and meet with Damian Cordova. We decided that drums, cymbals and bullhorn need to accompany all of our future actions-thanks Bill Moyer and Backbone!

We were told that despite McDermott’s support of the principles in the TRADE Act, as a member of the Trade Subcommittee of Ways and Means, he does not want to ‘show his hand’ and is waiting to hear from the Obama Administration. Along with the postcards, we presented a letter on behalf of the WFTC calling on Rep. McDermott to be a leader on trade as he is on development for least developed countries in African and South-east Asia.

Back at the rally at Westlake, we got everyone to take out their phones and immediately call McDermott’s DC office and urge him to support the TRADE Act-so he heard from us in more than one way on the anniversary of the WTO+10! Stay tuned for more ways you can get involved to get Rep McDermott to co-sponsor the TRADE Act.

It is that time of year again, when children put on costumes and with the help of Global Exchange’s Reverse trick-or-treating program become fair trade advocates as well as ghosts or goblins.

Get your school, youth group, church or social justice organization involved today!

On Halloween night, trick-or-treaters in across the US and Canada will give Fair Trade chocolate back to adults in their communities on Halloween.  Each chocolate has an informational card educating about the social and environmental justice issues in the cocoa industry as well as how to buy Fair Trade certified chocolate.

Parents rave about how Reverse Trick-or-Treating transforms Halloween into a meaningful event when youth activists give back to their neighbors and to cocoa growing communities.

Click HERE to get a FREE Reverse Trick-or-Treating Kit Today !

DEADLINE TO REQUEST KITS:
October 1 for Groups
October 13 for Individuals

Join Global Exchange and the WFTC to Reverse Trick-Or-Treat this year!

Community to Community (C2C) joined the WFTC as our 45 member! For those of you who are not yet familiar with their work they are a Bellingham based, women-led, grassroots organization working towards social, economic and environmental justice. Their programs seek to empower under represented peoples to have an equal voice in decision making processes through 1) developing cross-cultural awareness 2) restoring justice to food, land and cultural practices and 3) promoting community relationships towards self-reliance.

We are honored to have Community to Community join the WFTC and look forward to reaching out in particular to farm workers in Whatcom County who are facing challenges because of unfair trade policies.

As Obama prepares to host the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh this month, the Trade Stories Project took the opportunity to release its newest report Trade Matters-First Hand Accounts of Why President Obama and Members of Congress Should Keep their Promises on Trade Policy Reform. Fair Trade Coalitions from Maine, Ohio, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington held a press call to enable displaced workers in manufacturing; as well as farmers and IT workers share how they have been hurt by current trade policy.

From Washington State, Rennie Sawade an IT worker with over 20 years of experience, and communications chair at WashTech, a union of over 1100 IT workers including many at Microsoft, explained the growing difficulties of obtaining full time employment that provides a living wage in the IT sector. He urged our elected officials to support a new trade policy which benefits workers.

For more information visit: www.tradestories.org