TRADE Act - updates and WSLC endorsement

The new (Fair) TRADE Act is gaining more support from groups around the country and within Washington State. Last week the Washington State Labor Council Convention passed a resolution endorsing TRADE Act! This is an important endorsement, and one that we hope will get our Congress members to sit up and pay attention to the support for this bill. A copy of the resolution will be up on our website soon.

Currently, the (Fair) TRADE Act has over 70 Congressional co-sponsors. Representatives from the Washington Fair Trade Coalition met with three staff members from McDermott's office, and had a good discussion about the merits of the bill. However, they were not willing to promise his endorsement at this time - so we still need to work on him! We will announce an action alert soon.

Also, if your group has feedback on the TRADE Act's language, please email me. It will probably be revised for the next Congressional session, and we are interesting in hearing about how to make this the best possible bill.

Fair Trade Road Show - available now!

Our Fair Trade Road Show, or Powerpoint presentation on fair trade issues, is up and running, and available to bring to your organization! The new version discusses the merits of the TRADE Act, situating it in our current political climate that is increasingly supportive of fair trade. This is a great opportunity for members of your organization to learn about and get more engaged in fair trade issues - especially at a time when we have the potential to see meaningful changes made in the next administration.

Contact Stephanie if you would like to bring the fair trade road show to your next meeting. The powerpoint presentation plus questions/discussion time can run anywhere between 20-60 minutes (average 30 minutes) depending on the needs of your meeting. It can be amended to suit different audiences, and we are working on a Spanish language translation (coming soon).

Trade policy and elections in WA

Trade had a big impact on 2006 elections - dozens of candidates campaigned on fair trade platforms in 2006, and won! More and more people are recognizing that trade policy issues affect all of us, and that we need our elected officials to be fair traders, not free traders.  With some work, hopefully many more fair trade candidates will be elected in 2008!

If your organization is holding a town hall or candidates forum in the coming months, please consider making fair trade a part of your event (if you aren't already). Please contact Stephanie if there are events where fair trade questions and messages would be appropriate - WFTC can help publicize and encourage turn out as well.

You may also be interested to read the trade policy language in the current draft of the Democratic Party Platform. The language on fair trade is more specific and progressive than it has been for a long time, which is an important step forward. (Note: the WFTC is supportive of fair trade issues for all parties, and we hope all party platforms will include similar positions).

To learn more about the impact of fair trade in recent elections, read the Global Trade Watch report. “No to Staying the Course on Trade.”  

"Battle in Seattle" movie opens Sept 19

In 1999, five days rocked the world as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Seattle in protest of the World Trade Organization. A peaceful demonstration to stop the WTO talks was mixed with violent protests by some groups and individuals; this combination did indeed force the WTO's talks to collapse. The WTO was never the same after this.

The movie will be coming out in a limited release in Seattle on September 19^th. Only a few cities are part of the limited release, and only if the movie does well in the first 2 weeks will it get a wider release. So, gather together your organization's members, friends, family, or whoever, and plan to take the opportunity to see this movie! The movie is a dramatization not a documentary of events exactly as the happened. However, most people who have seen it say it does a good job addressing the important issues that organizers cared about. This is a great  opportunity for many more people around the country to hear about and get involved with fair trade issues, so please see the movie, and at the same time you will be giving others around the country the chance to do the same!

See the trailer.

Check out the website.

Please contact Stephanie if you would like to be sent postcards and posters advertising the movie. We have plenty!

Coalition updates

Welcome, Tilth Producers of Washington! The Washington Fair Trade Coalition is proud to welcome our first farming member organization - although we are in contact with others, and hope to strengthen this sector of our coalition in the near future. We now have 35 member organizations, and our strength, diversity, and influence in trade policy continue to grow! 

Last week the Washington State Labor Council held its annual Convention in Vancouver, WA. Fair trade was a popular topic, and the Washington Fair Trade Coalition was invited to participate in several key ways. Stephanie Celt addressed the plenary in the morning on August 5^th, discussing the growing demand for fair trade in our society, and the need to ensure that our elected officials make fair trade a reality! Stephanie and Stan Sorscher of SPEEA also offered a workshop on fair trade policy and the TRADE Act, which attracted almost 100 attendees.

Special BGA meeting, "Trade & Global Warming" 8/28

The Blue-Green Alliance (BGA), with which the WFTC is affiliated, will focus its next meeting on "Trade and Global Warming." Susan Ellsworth, of the Sierra Club's Responsible Trade Program, will be the special guest speaker The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 28^th at 12:00 noon at the Seattle Labor Temple. Interested parties are welcome to attend!

For further reading

"After 7 Years, Talks Collapse on World Trade" - NYT Story.

"RIP Doha Round" - commentary by Lori Wallach of Citizens Trade Campaign

"The China Trade Toll: Widespread Wage Supression, 2 Million Jobs Lost in the US" - A hard-hitting report by the Economic Policy Institute. Includes state-by-state statistics on job loss and more. Worth a look!

2008: Colombia Trade Unionists Die in Greater Numbers

A report by Global Investment Watch, which provided human and labor rights assessments of public companies around the world. 

"Ally of Colombia's Uribe Arrested in Para Scandal" 

Amnesty International: China Has Made Only Minor Progress
Amnesty's recent report on current state human rights in China.