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- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
- Path: sparky!uunet!gumby!wupost!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!daemon
- From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (Harel Barzilai)
- Subject: NORTH AMERICAN WORKER-TO-WORKER NETWORK (News Update)
- Message-ID: <1992Aug30.050355.20631@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Sender: news@mont.cs.missouri.edu
- Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Organization: ?
- Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 05:03:55 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 317
-
- The Center for Disease Control and the Texas Dept. of Health
- released a study [on] anencephalic (undeveloped brain) births [..]
- Since 1986, 68 cases of anencephaly have been recorded in
- Brownsville, Texas. [..] An EPA-certified lab found Stepan
- Chemical was discharging xylene into an open canal within 1-3
- miles of the anencephaly clusters at 53,000 times the U.S.
- permissible level. GM in the same area is dumping at 6,000 times
- standard, and 215,000 times standard for methylene chloride.
- Director of Epidemiology at Texas Dept. of Health announced there
- is "no epidemic" but a "trend" of anencephaly cases among
- Hispanics and border residents [...]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- In May, U.S. Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio) sent a letter to
- colleagues seeking a cosponsor to a bill that "would exempt any
- person operating a trade or business in the State of Ohio from all
- Federal Laws and regulations applying to such trade or business."
- The intent of the proposed legislation was to demonstrate the
- unconstitutionality as it parallels NAFTA and many nations that
- receive Most Favored Nation status.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- * An article published by the United Food and Commercial Workers
- Union (UFCW) stated: Since U.S. food processing workers are paid
- an average of nearly 15 times what Mexican food industry workers
- earn- $9.12 compared to .62 cents per hour- employers can gain a
- significant advantage by moving to Mexico to save in labor costs.
- Job losses are expected to fall disproportionately on poor, rural
- states, where other employment isn't available, and where food
- processing industries are concentrated.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- [Via misc.activism.progressive from LaborNet's apc.labor]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Topic 200 FREE TRADE LABOR EVENTS/NEWS/RESOU
- labornotes apc.labour 9:13 am Aug 28, 1992
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- NORTH AMERICAN WORKER-TO-WORKER NETWORK
- FREE TRADE MAILING
- 7435 Michigan Ave.
- Detroit, MI 48210
- (313) 842-6262
-
- NEWS UPDATE FROM THE U.S.
- * After 14 months U.S., Mexico and Canada trade negotiators
- announced the completion of negotiations of the North American
- Free Trade Agreement. Congress must wait 90 calendar days to
- review NAFTA and then has 90 Congressional days, or less, to vote
- it up or down. For updates on NAFTA News, contact: Institute for
- Agriculture and Trade Policy, 1313-Fifth St. SE Suite 303,
- Minneapolis, MN 55414-1546. Tel: (612)379-5980 or email:
- kmander@igc.org.
-
- * August 6. Waxman-Gephardt bill HR 246 passed 365-0 in House of
- Representatives. The resolution yet to be voted on by the Senate
- warns the President that Congress will reject a trade agreement
- which threatens U.S. labor, environmental or consumer safety
- standards.
- Gephardt calls for a "cross-border transaction" tax to be
- used for worker retraining, environmental protection and
- infrastructure development, and a "code of conduct" forcing
- Mexican businesses to pay their workers "a decent wage; not U.S.
- wages, but wages that will allow those workers to enjoy dignity
- and a hope for the future."
- Bush opposes a "green tax" on cross-border trade.
- Environmentalists and Democratic party leaders argue that Mexico
- will not be able to afford the huge amounts of money needed to
- clean up its territory and enforce pollution laws. Bush conceded
- two proposals to allow incorporation of environmental measures
- into NAFTA: (1) allowing local, state and federal government
- agencies to continue banning food imports if the products exceed
- pesticide limits, and (2) prohibiting countries or states from
- lowering environmental standards or enforcement to attract new
- investment. (Note: neither allows for strengthening of
- standards).
-
- * The New Teamster August 1992, (Teamsters' new magazine) reported
- on the Teamsters union's offensive against the NAFTA, which will
- allow cross-border trucking without requirements for equivalent
- safety and wage standards (including bilingual information for
- transport of hazardous materials). President Bush has ordered
- California and other states to accept Mexican commercial drivers
- licenses -even before the NAFTA is signed- creating double
- standards for law enforcement.
- Teamster General President Ron Carey was joined by the Los
- Angeles City Council, the Mexican Action Network and others in
- support of a resolution calling for Bush to rescind the order.
- Another resolution won approval by the California State Assembly,
- directing the California Highway Patrol and other state officials
- to ignore the Bush action and uphold the state authority to
- enforce its safety standards. A campaign including a caravan and
- rallies throughout California has been launched to gain
- endorsement of resolutions similar to that in L.A. "Save Good
- Jobs" petitions against Bush's deregulation and free trade
- policies have been sent to all Teamster locals in U.S.
- A three-stage international trucking accord to be phased in
- over the first 10 years of the NAFTA will eliminate U.S. trucking
- jobs and pull down wages. Currently U.S. truckers cannot haul to
- Mexico, and foreign investment in the Mexican trucking industry is
- restricted. In Stage I (first 3 years) access would remain limited
- to a narrow zone along both sides of the border. Stage II: (years
- 4-6) Cross-border hauling by non-joint venture firms would be
- opened up to the states on each side of the U.S. border. (On U.S.
- side, Mexican owned or operating firms can haul into California,
- Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.) U.S. trucking firms can
- establish joint ventures with Mexican companies; joint ventures
- can haul throughout Mexico beginning in the third year. Stage
- III (after year six): unlimited hauling rights over entire
- territories. After 10 years: 100% foreign ownership possible.
-
- * The Center for Disease Control and the Texas Dept. of Health
- released a study which was to investigate direct cause of
- anencephalic (undeveloped brain) births, but ignores the obvious:
- the lack of investment in public health and safety infrastructure
- including monitoring. Since 1986, 68 cases of anencephaly have
- been recorded in Brownsville, Texas.
- The Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras calls for a
- comprehensive investigation on contamination in the
- Brownsville/Matamoros area and an immediate plan for clean-up and
- reduction. An EPA-certified lab found Stepan Chemical was
- discharging xylene into an open canal within 1-3 miles of the
- anencephaly clusters at 53,000 times the U.S. permissible level.
- GM in the same area is dumping at 6,000 times standard, and
- 215,000 times standard for methylene chloride. Director of
- Epidemiology at Texas Dept. of Health announced there is "no
- epidemic" but a "trend" of anencephaly cases among Hispanics and
- border residents, smacking of environmental racism. A "trend"
- doesn't get attention, funding, and action.
-
- * 11 auto workers from Canada and the U.S. and a Japanese trade
- unionist travelled to the U.S.-Mexico border for an educational
- tour organized by UAW 879 and Labor Notes. Shopfloor activists met
- with farmworkers, auto workers, garment workers, lawyers, the
- Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras, and community
- organizers. For an article on the tour, write: Tom Laney, UAW
- Local 879, 59 Battle Creek Place, St. Paul, MN 55119.
-
- * NAFTA "Swat analysis teams" created to deal with particular
- issues -Labor, environment, agriculture, etc. Fourteen teams set
- up in each of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. with coordinators for
- each team. Teams will examine issues and design alternative
- policies to build towards sustainable continental development.
- Specific consideration will be given to ethnic/cultural and gender
- concerns and perspectives in the design of alternatives and impact
- of policies. Alternative policies and NAFTA criticisms will be
- compiled into final document for distribution in all three
- countries and will be released after NAFTA is set forth.
- A trinational document will be boiled down and group will
- seek organizational and individual endorsements in the early
- fall, with plan to distribute to those running for Congress.
- Organized by La Red Mexicana in Mexico; Mobilization for
- Development, Trade, Labor and the Environment (MODTLE), and the
- Fair Trade Campaign in the US; and Action Canada Network, Canadian
- Centre for Policy Alternatives and Common Frontiers in Canada.
- Contact MODTLE, 100 Maryland Ave., Box 74, Washington, D.C. 20002.
- Tel: (202) 544-7198.
-
- * In June, SEDESOL (formerly SEDUE, Mexico's environmental agency)
- met with the US-EPA to discuss the Integrated Border Environmental
- Plan released in Sept. 1991. A protest demonstration was held to
- highlight the anencephalic cases along the border. Repeatedly
- denied access to information about the environmental practices of
- area companies, Matamoros residents were recently informed by top
- SEDESOL officials that they were under CIA-type investigations for
- their involvement in binational efforts to put pressure on
- polluting companies. SEDESOL, in a seemingly political gesture,
- temporarily closed several Matamoros plants including Stepan
- Chemical for 5 days.
-
- * Over 300 Detroit area UAW Region 1A members toured the
- maquiladora zone in Tijuana in June, organized by Region 1A
- Director Bob King during the UAW Convention held in San Diego.
- Tour participants, guided by local residents representing the
- Border Project of the American Friends Service Committee said,
- "The trip gave real meaning to labor's drive to counter the labor
- exploitation of workers under Bush's NAFTA." Auto workers who
- participated in the tour were very moved by the experience, and
- not only took up a collection for the Mexican families they spoke
- with, but also spoke to other delegates at the Convention about
- the need for action. For more information about the tour, contact
- UAW Region IA, 9650 Telegraph, Taylor, MI 48180.
-
- * Also in June, Mexican President Carlos Salinas demanded that
- President Bush halt the development of three toxic dumps on the
- Mexican border in Texas. Mexican and U.S. environmentalists
- blockaded border crossings in March to call attention to the
- proposed toxic dumps slated for Dryden, Spofford and Sierra
- Blanca.
-
- * Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) leader Baldemar Velasquez
- joined a delegation of American Hispanic leaders to Mexico City in
- June, invited by the Mexican government. Velasquez believes
- Mexican politicians are considering the importance of the Hispanic
- vote in American elections and are concerned how their actions are
- being viewed. FLOC is approaching free trade by making alliances
- with organized labor in Mexico to raise wages and benefits. FLOC
- has as agreement with the Mexican farm workers union, SNTOAC, to
- open a dialogue on common economic and bargaining problems.
- SNTOAC represents 50,000 Mexican farm workers, compared to
- 17,000 members in both FLOC and the United Farm Workers unions.
- Velasquez is urging the Mexican government to send workers north
- as "guest workers" only if they would be represented by union
- contract.
-
- * Congress has accepted a petition by the US-Guatemala Labor
- Education Project, IUE, UE, UFCW, ACTWU and ILGWU this August to
- review worker rights violations in Guatemala to determine whether
- trade benefits should be suspended. For more information, contact
- USGLEP, 4845 North Washtenaw, Third Floor, Chicago, IL 60625.
- Tel: (312) 262-6502.
-
- * On August 12, Carla Hills, U.S. trade negotiator, said that cars
- and light trucks will have to have 62.5% North American (Mexican,
- U.S. or Canadian) content for duty-free treatment eight years
- after NAFTA becomes effective.
- According to the U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Reporter, the "auto
- accord will also: 1) immediately allow 100% investment by "NAFTA
- investors" in Mexican "national suppliers" of auto parts and 2)
- immediately allow up to 49% investment in other auto parts plants
- in Mexico."
- Owen Bieber, President of the United Auto Workers (UAW),
- condemned the agreement, saying it will "vaporize thousands and
- thousands of good-paying U.S. jobs." The UAW had pressed for 75%
- North American content.
-
- * In May, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the
- Mexican government launched a major survey of more than 700
- Mexican industrial firms to assess changes in light of free trade
- in employment, wages, technology, training, and the adoption of
- more flexible labor and employment practices. Report expected
- early 1993. [Contact ILO Publications Center, 49 Sheridan Ave.,
- Albany, NY 12210. Tel: (518) 436-9686.] Source: ILO Washington
- Focus, 1828 L St., NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: (202) 653-7652/
- Fax (202) 653-7687.
-
- * Since beginning of 1990 about 30% of all Canadian trucking firms
- have gone out of business: 656 in 1990; 762 in 1991; and 151 in
- the first 3 months of 1992. Source: Globe and Mail, May 26, 1992.
-
- * May 21-24 Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras held a
- workshop in El Paso/Juarez where they visited maquiladora
- factories and spoke to workers. The CJM Board meeting followed the
- workshop.
-
- * May 20. 300 demonstrators picketed the 28th Annual Wisconsin
- International Trade Conference held in Milwaukee as part of a two-
- day rally in protest of NAFTA. Day one featured a "Parade of Lost
- Jobs" where union members, farmers, Mexican workers and other
- activists carried signs with names of companies that left for
- Mexico. The events were organized by the U.S. and Mexican Workers
- Coalition formed by the Milwaukee County Labor Council.
-
- * In May, activists in the Mexican National Telephone Union,
- Sindicato de Telefonistas de la Republica Mexicana, hosted a visit
- by 2 Canadian and U.S. activists from the Communications Workers
- of Canada, and of America. They met with Mexican technicians and
- operators, toured telephone facilities, and addressed union
- meetings in Mexico City and Hermosillo on the topics of the
- globalization of the telecommunications industry; NAFTA; and the
- use of new technology to de-skill, devalue, and destroy union
- jobs. Unionists from the 3 countries agreed to establish a closer
- working relationship.
-
- * The Bush Administration is near decision on beginning free-trade
- negotiations with Chile; Chilean President Patricio Aylwin anxious
- to begin talks. U.S. Trade Rep. Carla Hills advised Pres. Bush to
- postpone, but Treasury and State departments support start-up.
- Chile has been considered next in line after NAFTA is signed.
- (Journal of Commerce)
-
- * In May, U.S. Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio) sent a letter to
- colleagues seeking a cosponsor to a bill that "would exempt any
- person operating a trade or business in the State of Ohio from all
- Federal Laws and regulations applying to such trade or business."
- The intent of the proposed legislation was to demonstrate the
- unconstitutionality as it parallels NAFTA and many nations that
- receive Most Favored Nation status.
-
- * An article published by the United Food and Commercial Workers
- Union (UFCW) stated: Since U.S. food processing workers are paid
- an average of nearly 15 times what Mexican food industry workers
- earn- $9.12 compared to .62 cents per hour- employers can gain a
- significant advantage by moving to Mexico to save in labor costs.
- Job losses are expected to fall disproportionately on poor, rural
- states, where other employment isn't available, and where food
- processing industries are concentrated.
-
- * The Union de Trabajadores Agricolas Fronteriza (Border
- Agricultural Workers Union) UTAF, a cross-border agricultural
- workers union of Mexican and U.S. chile pickers, struck for nine
- days during August for better living and working conditions. The
- average yearly wages for a farm worker family of four is only
- $5,000. The UTAF succeeded in increasing wages of Mexican and U.S.
- workers up from .60 to .65 cents a bucket of California chiles.
- For more info, contact UTAF, 514 S. Kansas St., El Paso, TX
- 79902. Tel: (915) 532-0921.
-
- * Prime Time Live!, an approximately 45-minute TV program aired
- June 11 documented U.S. transnationals in Mexico and their role in
- toxic dumping. This excellent program documents the stories of the
- Mallory children (retarded children whose mothers worked with PCBs
- with only rubber gloves) and anencephalic babies (babies born with
- no brains) due to chemical discharges in water supplies. The
- program also addressed organized community and labor response.
-
- * June 25-28, the Evergreen State College Labor Center organized a
- Camp Solidarity Northwest, featuring a simulation game on free
- trade. Unionists played out the roles of government, big business,
- labor, and the community, and acted out potential strategies. For
- more info and a copy of the game, write: Helen Lee, Labor Center,
- TESC, Olympia, WA 98505 or call (206) 866-6000 Ext. 6525.
-
- * The International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried,
- Machine and Furniture Workers (IUE) President William Bywater
- denounced President Bush's job training initiative as a response
- to job loss due to free trade on August 24. "Retraining workers is
- not the same as providing them jobs. What kinds of jobs will
- workers be training for and where will the jobs be?" remarked
- Bywater. For more info, and interviews for radio or talk shows,
- contact Scott Treibitz or Steve Hahn, (202) 296-1208.
-