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By Jason Sheckler
Delegate & Member, Local 247

Legislative Update

The Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment Act – TRADE Act for short – today has over 70 cosponsors, and is supported by the national AFL-CIO, Change toWin, Sierra Club and many others as the proactive alternative to “business as usual” on trade. We’re asking ORFTC member organizations and supporters to sign onto a letter urgingOregon’s congressional delegation to co-sponsor the TRADE Act by Friday, Sept. 26. Individuals can show their support for the TRADE Act by signing our online petition at: www.oregonfairtrade.org.

Corporate lobbyists are still trying to drum up support for the Bush administration’s stalled free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. We believe it is unlikely that these trade deals will reach a floor vote this year, but when the Consumer Electronic Association’s “America Wins withTrade” bus tour came to Oregon to promote the Colombia FTA, we organized a satirical welcoming party for themjust the same. Watch the video online at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaZRuyiGucw.

The “make or break” negotiations for the Doha round of the World Trade Organization collapsed in Geneva in late July. A major reason was a demand by developing countries that they be able to protect their agricultural sectors from import surges.

Stories Project
SAVE THE DATE: ORFTC is holding a public forum on the impacts of free trade on Oregon the evening ofTuesday, Oct. 14 in downtown Portland. A panel of labor leaders, displaced workers and others will discuss their views on the subject, followed by comments from U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley and (invited) Senator Gordon Smith.

Resources
ORFTC released its new “Analysis of Trade Related Job Loss in Oregon’s Forest Products Sector” in mid-August. The takehome message is that Oregon has a loss of 10,000 forest products jobs as a result of free trade pacts supported by politicians like Gordon Smith. A PDF is available online at http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf2/ForestJobLoss.pdf.

www.oregonfairtrade.org

www.ubc247.com

Original story:
Oregon Fair Trade Campaign Monthly Report