Trade and Worker Rights Project

USLEAP campaigns for effective global trade rules to protect workers and against trade agreements (e.g. the Central American Free Trade Agreement and the Colombia Free Trade Agreement) that do not protect workers abroad who organize to improve their wages and working conditions.

This project supports workers in the region by also seeking to apply the conditions of U.S. trade programs that require improved respect for worker rights as a condition for receiving special trade benefits. These trade programs include the Andean Trade Preferences Act and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).

USLEAP periodically files petitions and supporting documents for complaints filed with the U.S. Trade Representative documenting violent intimidation of workers, illegal efforts to thwart the right to organize, and other worker rights violations. Pushing for implementation of the worker rights conditions of U.S. trade programs has proven useful to securing some advances and specific victories, illustrating the value of linking trade to respect for worker rights.

USLEAP supports conditioning multilateral trade agreements (e.g. CAFTA) and unilateral trade programs (e.g. the Generalized System of Preferences) on respect for worker rights, using standards developed by the ILO and adequate enforcement measures. However, USLEAP believes that the application of such pressure must be exercised only with the support of workers in Latin America.

USLEAP coordinates with Latin American unions, U.S. non-governmental organizations, and U.S. trade unions in carrying out this project.