Take Action

Contact your members of Congress to oppose the Obama Administration's revival of the Free Trade agenda.  The Administation has initiated negotiations for a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with nations bordering the Pacific Ocean and says it will push for a vote on three pending FTAs negotiated by the Bush Administration, including Colombia, which continues to lead the world in number of trade unionists murdered.

Violence targeted at trade unionists in Guatemala has been increasing at an alarming rate.   In 2009, 16 trade unionists were reported murdered in Guatemala, making it the second most deadly country to be a trade unionist according to the International Trade Union Confederation, trailing only Colombia.   Another six trade unionists have reportedly been murdered in the first half of 2010.

The violence against trade unionists has spiked since the implementation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in July 2006, a year in which no trade unionists were reported murdered in Guatemala.   

On July 30, 2010, the US government announced it would seek consultations with the Guatemalan government to address worker rights violations cited in a CAFTA labor complaint filed by the AFL-CIO and six Guatemalan trade unions in April 2008.   The US government also expressed strong concerns regarding violence against Guatemalan trade unionists.

Our friends at the Latin America Working Group (LAWG) circulated a petition to President Barack Obama requesting a new type of policy for Latin American and Caribbean countries. Now is a moment not just to be in opposition, but to create foreign policy that we can believe in.    NOTE:  The petition deadline passed on January 21 but it is still available for reviewing on the LAWG website.

(On-going)   Workers on Dole's banana, pineapple, and flower plantations are calling for a global campaign against the company. Read more about the campaign and find out what you can do.