Portland, Oregon Labor Activists Participate in USLEAP Delegation to Colombia

In November, nine labor leaders and activists from the Pacific Northwest visited Colombia and Venezuela in a delegation organized by the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC), and jointly facilitated by Global Exchange and USLEAP. The delegation included members of SEIU, ILWU, AFSCME, NEA, and an organizer from the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers.

During the Colombia portion of the trip, organized by LEAP, delegates visited labor leaders from multiple sectors in Colombia as well as some civil society groups. Included in the trip were meetings with the public sector workers, Coke workers from SINALTRAINAL, the petroleum workers union, Dole flower workers, the teachers union, and the electrical workers union. Delegates also met with some civil society groups, including Afrodes, a community of displaced Afro-Colombians in Ciudad Bolivar. To follow up, the delegates wrote a report on the situation of labor and human rights in the two countries. The report was presented to the Portland community on December 5th. For copies of the report, contact PCASC at info@pcasc.org.