January 28, 2008

Dear Senators Durbin and Obama:

In light of upcoming Congressional consideration of the pending Free Trade Agreement with Colombia, we write to you today as Chicago-area trade unions and human rights, ecojustice, faith, and community organizations concerned about significant flaws in the current trade model as a whole, and in particular in the U.S.-Colombia FTA.

Parliament of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0A9

Re: Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Dear Members of Parliament,

For almost two decades, the United States and Canada have been closely linked economically, first through the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, and later the North American Free Trade Agreement. Now, our respective governments are negotiating trade agreements with many of the same countries. These agreements will no doubt have an impact on both our respective economies and on our unique bilateral relationship. It is in this light that we would very much like to open a continuing dialogue with you about our respective trade policies and exchange views about the kind of policies needed to promote broadly shared benefits for the people of the United States, of Canada, and of our trading partners.

Condemns Bush Administration's Renewed Push for FTA

increased violence against unionists in Colombia and an increase in extra-judicial killings by the Colombian Armed Forces, the United Steelworkers (USW) today urged Congress to stand firm against pressure from the Bush administration to bring its proposed Columbian Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to a vote.

Members of the Chicago Trade with Justice Working Group paid a visit to the Obama for America headquarters in Chicago on Dec. 15, 2007. They wanted to tell Senator Barack Obama that they are concerned with his failure to appear at the recent Senate vote on the US-Peru "Free Trade" Agreement. They left a statement for Obama, a current candidate for U.S. President, and expressed their disappointment that he skipped the vote on the Peru trade pact. They were even more concerned that Obama, along with Sen Hillary Clinton, made public statements supporting the Peru Trade deal and that Illinois Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, voted in favor of it.

December 15, 2007

Senator Barack Obama December 15, 2007
Obama For America
300 West Adams Street
Chicago, IL 60603

Dear Senator Obama,

As activists from labor, religious, environmental, immigrant rights, Latin American solidarity and peace movements, we are concerned about our U.S. Congressional and Senate leaders’ support of unfair trade agreements.

Teamsters President Says the Peru FTA Deal Is "Just What We Don't Need"

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today said President Bush should have vetoed the Peru Free Trade Agreement instead of a bill to provide health care for children.

By Ben Burkett, MinutemanMedia.org *

American anxiety about our food system is at an all-time high. With every report of tainted or poisonous foreign food imports or new E. coli recall, consumer demand grows for locally produced, source-verified products.

Hoffa Condemns Senate Passage of Peru Free Trade Agreement *

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said today that Congress has failed American workers with Senate passage of the Peru Free Trade Agreement.

by John Nichols, thenation.com (blog), December 4, 2007

New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama desperately want Democrats to believe that they are serious about serving the American people as the next president of the United States.