DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA
 
 November 30, 2007
 
News From DSA
A Report from DSA's National Office

Contents

Tell the Senate to say NO to the latest Free Trade Agreement.

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Legislative Alert – PERU 
Key Vote on Fair Trade versus "Free Trade" upcoming in U.S. Senate
 
Call your U.S. Senator this Monday, and ask them to vote against the free trade agreement with Peru. Tell them we do not need another NAFTA-style agreement.  It is especially important that Senators Clinton and Obama hear from their constituents in New York and Illinois that the "sops" they are offering to their corporate contributors are "slaps" to the majority of their constituents. The U. S. Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-3121, they will connect you directly to senate offices.
 
On November 8 the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve a deeply flawed free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru.  Nearly half of the House Democrats joined the vast majority of Republicans in approving the agreement, even though its passage risks the displeasure of core Democratic voters who rejected NAFTA-style trade agreements in the 2006 Congressional elections.
 
Democratic House leaders Nancy Pelosi and Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel campaigned for the bill, claiming that the Peru FTA had been modified to include enforceable standards for worker rights and environmental protections. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama promised to vote for passage in the Senate. Supporters of Clinton and Obama are asserting that their commitments to vote for the Peru agreement reflect a harmless sop to assuage the thirst of their corporate supporters for free trade principles, and that the candidates do not thereby commit themselves to voting for other proposed FTAs.
 
Even though the actual economic impact of a U.S.-Peru agreement is small, the danger is that the agreement would become the template for passing other bilateral FTAs and even for general trade negotiations under the WTO. Bush administration officials are already using the House vote as a springboard to urge accelerated passage of similar FTAs with Colombia, Panama and Korea
 
The assertions by Rangel, Pelosi, Clinton and Obama that the Peru agreement includes enforceable labor rights standards are completely specious. A detailed analysis of the FTA's labor standards by Colombia law professor Mark Barenberg clearly demonstrates that in many important respects the Peru FTA actually represents backsliding from present law. To request a copy of the analysis click here. The provisions are in fact vague, unenforceable, and provide no credible mechanism for implementation. The U.S.-Peru FTA was opposed by every labor federation and human rights group in the U.S. and Peru. 
 
US and Colombian unions are equally opposed to the proposed U.S.-Colombia FTA, which includes the same unenforceable labor rights standards as the U.S.-Peru agreement.    Moreover who believes that the U.S. government is willing to challenge labor rights abuses in a Colombia that is a key U.S. ally in the "war on terror"?   However extensive lobbying efforts, including junkets to Colombia, are underway to persuade Democrats that the government of Colombia has actually tried to reduce the number of assassinations of union officials in 2007.
 
It is generally believed that the Senate vote for passage of the U.S.-Peru FTA is certain, given Clinton and Obama's promises to vote for the agreement.  The vote could come up as early as next week (3-7 December).  However if senators receive a lot of flak from their constituents for passing yet another "free trade" agreement, and at least a substantial minority vote against it, it will limit the danger that the Peru agreement will serve as a precedent and template for other agreements. It is especially important that Senators Clinton and Obama hear from their constituents in New York and Illinois that they do not appreciate their "sops" to their corporate contributors that represent "slaps" to the majority of their constituents. The U. S. Capitol Switchboard is  (202) 224-3121, they will connect you directly to senate offices.
 
A good web-site to monitor all developments relating to fair vs. free trade is that of the Citizens Trade Campaign at http://www.citizenstrade.org/
 
In solidarity,
 
 
Frank Llewellyn
National Director
Paid for by Democratic Socialists of America PAC, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 505, NY, NY 10038; not approved by any candidate or candidate's committee.