Directions for calling your Members of Congress and a sample call-in script.

Call your members of Congress (call *1-866-338-5720 *) and ask the capitol switchboard operator to connect you to one of your member's office.

***If you don't know who your members are, go to www.congress.gov [1]. Be sure to find out who both your senators are in addition to your House representative, and call all three.***

Ask to speak with the person who handles trade (this may be the foreign policy aid or may be someone else).


Here is a sample call script, but feel free to emphasize the issues that are important to you:

"Hello, my name is ________________ and I'm calling from___(neighborhood, organization, union, etc)___ to express my concern about the rights of flower workers in Colombia and the Colombia Free Trade Agreement that was passed by Congress in October 2011 but has not yet been implemented.

Sixty % of flowers bought by U.S. consumers come from Colombia.  The Free Trade Agreement will make permanent duty-free treatment for flowers from Colombia.   But flower workers in Colombia, most of whom are women, earn poverty-level wages, are exposed to dangerous pesticides, and are prevented from organizing independent unions to defend their basic rights. In addition, Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist.

I ask that you urge the Obama Administration not to implement the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia until it takes adequate steps to improve the basic rights of flower workers, reduce violence, and end impunity.

Thank you for your time."