bilaterals.org

Labor action and inaction in Colombia free trade deal

2012-04-25 15:39:56

As the media swarmed over the scandal surrounding the Secret Service's alleged carousing with prostitutes in Colombia, another questionable financial transaction slipped quietly through the backdoor of hemispheric diplomacy.

AFL-CIO Joins Honduran Unions in Petitioning US Labor Department

2012-04-01 22:29:06

This week the AFL-CIO joined the main Honduran trade unions to file a petition with the United States Department of Labor's Public Office of Trade & Labor Affairs (OTLA) concerning the failure of the government of Honduras to effectively enforce its labor laws and comply with its commitments under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA).

'Meet the new boss': The rise of Colombia's labor co-ops

2012-03-02 05:11:11

According to labor-rights activists as well as a recent US State department report, many Colombian co-ops function as glorified temp agencies providing companies with cheap and docile non-union workers.

US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Labor issues

2012-01-23 05:07:02

This Congressional Research Service (CRS) report examines three labor issues and arguments related to the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, signed on October 21, 2011: violence against trade unionists; impunity (accountability for or punishment of the perpetrators); and worker rights protections for Colombians.

Union says immigrants forced to accept pay below minimum wage

2012-01-15 17:53:03

Chinese chefs working here are being asked to accept pay cuts or face losing their jobs, because of hundreds of Chinese chefs entering the country under the free trade agreement with China.

ÉTATS-UNIS-COLOMBIE - Clauses sociales : l'APC-TLC relance-t-il la discussion ?

2011-11-28 03:39:34

Ce texte a comme principal propos de s'interroger sur la possibilité que les clauses sociales et environnementales des traités de libre échange deviennent un instrument important de la protection des droits du travail et des droits environnementaux en Amérique latine.

Race to the bottom: Maquiladoras, free trade, can of worms

2011-10-04 04:34:05

Obama does not mention that FTAs traditionally have prompted US companies to transfer their manufacturing processes to countries with lower wages, rather than noticeably creating jobs in this country, writes COHA

Workers' rights a part of trade deals

2011-10-03 05:04:15

The Republicans' refusal to reference the Colombian Action Plan Related to Labor Rights in the US-Colombia free trade agreement's implementing bill — and the Obama administration's acquiescence to that refusal — is a fundamental flaw that is becoming increasingly apparent, writes US Representative Sander Levin

Documentary: CAFTA led to workers' rights violations in Honduras

2011-09-27 17:55:50

Ever since it was passed five years ago, the Central America Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) has led to an increase in unemployment, violations of worker rights and discrimination against women in Honduras, according to an about-to-be-released documentary.

Jordan firm accused of sexual abuse supplied clothes to Sears, Target and others

2011-09-27 17:46:06

Since 2007, at least 300 young female employees have been raped and brutalized by Classic managers while sewing clothes for giant retailers, including Hanes, Target, Sears, Macy's and Land's End. These garments enter the US duty-free under the US-Jordan Free Trade Agreement.

Guatemala labor case: US steps up pressure

2011-08-12 09:55:40

The United Steelworkers union (USW) said it strongly supported the US plan to move forward with arbitration.

U.S. requests panel to decide Guatemala labor case

2011-08-10 13:44:35

The United States said on Tuesday it was requesting a dispute settlement panel to hear its year-old complaint that Guatemala has failed to protect workers' rights as required under a free-trade agreement.

'Free' trade deals are bad for Mass. cities like Fall River

2011-07-17 13:58:19

Long before 2008, when Wall Street's unchecked greed brought the world's economy to its knees, we in the middle class could feel our future slipping away. We knew that we were working longer and harder — we could clearly see that even with two salaries, most families had less disposable income than families did in the '60s and '70s when one income was the norm.

ETUC wants FTA with Ottawa to strengthen workers' rights

2011-07-06 12:58:14

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to ensure that the free trade agreement currently negotiated with Canada strengthens workers' rights. In a letter dated 4 July and sent to De Gucht, Bernadette Ségol, ETUC's general secretary, asked the EU to adjust its negotiating position in order to include in the final agreement a “strong” dispute settlement mechanism, with the possibility of fines being imposed for breaches of international obligations on labour standards.

Bahrain hires US lawyers to fight complaints over sacked workers

2011-06-26 21:07:42

Bahrain has hired a US law firm to tackle a complaint filed by the US's largest trade union, threatening the kingdom's bilateral trade agreement with the world's largest economy.

South Korea ‘free trade' deal: Another funnel for exploitation

2011-06-06 03:20:24

While President Obama and most Congressional Democrats are allowing the Republicans to define America's most urgent crisis as the budget deficit, the nation's job deficit grows more dire day by day with no clear, forceful direction coming from the White House.

US steps up pressure on Guatemala to enforce labor laws

2011-05-19 10:53:30

The Obama administration announced yesterday that because Guatemala has not taken sufficient steps to effectively enforce its labor laws, as required under the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), it is requesting a meeting of the Free Trade Commission.

Workforce initiatives put brakes on controversial free trade deals—for now

2011-05-19 03:38:05

Lawmakers and corporations have worked hard these past few weeks to cinch a slew of free trade agreements in Congress, eager to repeat the tried-and-true formula of shifting jobs overseas and undermining working conditions at home and abroad. But just as the ink was starting to dry, something got in the way: workers.

With UAW's King for cover, Obama backhands labor in Korea trade deal

2010-12-09 08:53:59

UAW sources suggest King felt he had to back the trade deal as payback to Obama for pumping billions into failing automakers in 2009—although the bailout of Chrysler and GM laid off tens of thousands of workers and cut pay—in half—for future auto workers.

Not-so-free trade agreements

2010-08-18 19:46:51

The flavour of protectionism is spreading in the US sometimes at the cost of impeding market access for trade partners. The recent law signed by US President Barack Obama to raise work visa fees will hit Indian companies immediately and US companies with global operations in the medium and long term.