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CLR Index: February 2003Monthly Indexes are a free service provided by the Campaign for Labor Rights (Washington, DC). Please distribute widely and freely, citing the Campaign for Labor Rights as your source. February 2003 Table of Contents1. CLR Campaigns 2. Domestic Struggles 3. International Struggles 4. Announcements 5. Resources 6. Jobs back to top 1. CLR CAMPAIGNS1.1 CIW Hunger Strike and Convergence at Taco Bell HeadquartersWe would rather go hungry that eat sweatshop tacos! 100 workers and supporters strike for farmworker justiceThe Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) began a historic hunger strike at Taco Bell corporate headquarters on February 24th, calling on the fast-food giant to pay just one penny more per pound for the tomatoes it buys Florida growers; the one cent increase would double the rate paid to farmworkers. CIW is demanding that Taco Bell redress the sweatshops conditions where its tomatoes are picked. After three long days crossing the nation by bus and vans, the caravan of farmworkers from the (CIW) and their allies arrived in Los Angeles Sunday night, February 23rd, to a warm welcome by the Dolores Mission and an ecumenical service by pastors of all faiths. Monday morning, February 24th, 100 fasters and supporters began one of the largest hunger strikes in US history, 24 hours a day, outside the global headquarters of Taco Bell, the fast-food giant. While the hunger strikers stand vigil at Taco Bell headquarters, a caravan of workers and allies will head south from Sacramento, California, stopping at college campuses and communities along the way and spreading word of the hunger strike through teach-ins and protests at local Taco Bell restaurants. And throughout the week, solidarity fasts and protests will take place in communities throughout the country. The caravan reached Irvine on Friday, February 28th, joining forces with the hunger strikers and with thousands of fair-food activists from California and across the country for a national day of convergence at Taco Bell headquarters - a huge day of protest and music that will rock Taco Bell. Campaign for Labor Rights Board Member Marissa Nunio will be speaking at the National COnverege on February 28th in Irvine, CA. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS -- FEBRUARY 24th-28th FEBRUARY 24, 2003: Hunger strike began at Taco Bell corporate headquarters in Irvine, California. FEBRUARY 24th-28th 2003: 11am-1pm and 4pm-6pm pickets, 7pm-8pm candlelight vigils at Taco Bell Headquarters FEBRUARY 28, 2003: National Convergence at Taco Bell headquarters -- located at 17901 Von Karman Ave, in Irvine, California -- to support hunger strikers. Main Program 11:00am - 4:00pm. Please visit www.ciw-online.org for updated information on this historic week of events. back to top 1.2 PUMA TARGETED BY SWEATSHOP WORKERSCALL PUMA CEO Jochen Zeitz and EMAIL the Global Head of Environmental & Social Affairs, Reiner Hengstmann and demand that they support the workers struggle for an independent union, back wages for work done, and new orders. Two hundred factory workers staged a work stoppage at the Matamoros Garment Factory on January 13th. Their protests included: the non-payment of wages, forced overtime, the imposition of a sweetheart union and the dangerous practice of locking workers inside the factory during work hours. They also called for the recognition of an independent union, Sindicato Independiente de la Empresa Matamoros Garment (SITEMAG), in conjunction with Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador (CAT). The factory management responded by informing the workers that as a result of their actions, well-known German sportwear company PUMA terminated its contract. Massive international pressure forced PUMA to enter into discussions with CAT about the workers charges. Also at issue at these talks was PUMA refusal to acknowledge that violations of workers rights have occurred and that workers had a right to freely choose a union without company harassment or pressure. The workers called on PUMA to withdraw recognition from the sweetheart union, Sindicato Francisco Villa of the CTM. In violation of discussion protocols and in an attempt to circumvent the independent union, PUMA issued a public statement in early February refuting the workers claims. On February 12th, CAT responded with a scathing denunciation and reissued a call for international solidarity. Negotiations have been ongoing between PUMA and CAT. At a press conference in Cologne, Germany on February 25th, CAT restated its demands:
Until CAT (Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador - the independent workers union) receive confirmations of the orders actually being placed at the factory and agreement to the other demands, including on independent monitoring/verification, they ask you all to continue the campaign and NOT stop the pressure on Puma. CALL PUMA CEO Jochen Zeitz (978)-698-1124 and EMAIL the Global Head of Environmental & Social Affairs, Reiner Hengstmann at Reiner.Hengstmann@puma.com and demand that they end their "cut and run" and place new orders and agree to all the demands of the CAT and Matamoros workers. VISIT back to top 1.3 INTERNATIONAL UNION FEDERATION PROTESTS RISE IN ANTI-UNION VIOLENCE IN COLOMBIAICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder has asked the President of Colombia to take action to protect human and trade union rights and to bring those who violate them to justice. With the spiralling of murders and death threats against them, Colombian trade unions are critical of the purely security-oriented policy of the government. Guillermo Rivera Plata, Vice-President of the national Agricultural Workers Union (SINTRAINAGRO), was previously granted special protection by the authorities following the numerous death threats he had received. However, this year the same authorities removed that support, putting
his life at risk. On 23 January 2003, Resolution n°141 adopted by
the Public Services Inspectorate annulled the previous agreement of
29 Following the ensuing protests by workers, the security forces openly threatened to kill the workers if they continued their protest. These two examples, among many others, demonstrate the extremely dangerous
situation faced by Colombian trade unionists, whose work all too often
costs them their lives. That is what happened to Jose Marcelino Diaz
Gonzalez, President of the College of Rectors and Directors affiliated
to the Arauca Teachers Association, who was assassinated on 13 January
2003, and to Abelardo Barbosa Paez of the FENSUAGRO union, who was killed
on 21 January 2003 whilst going to During 2002 around 180 trade unionists were assassinated, making Colombia by far the most dangerous country to be a trade unionist. The militarization of civilian institutions and the declaration of a state of emergency have done nothing to improve matters. Over 70 Colombian NGOs, including many trade unions, have therefore expressed their concern over the worsening human rights situation following measures adopted by the new government in a joint statement. These measures range from the declaration of a state of emergency last August to the exclusively security-oriented public policies that are undermining humanitarian law and human rights. In view of this exceptional violence and the numerous trade union rights violations reported to it, the ICFTU asked President Alvaro Uribe to give serious consideration to the human rights situation, to amend his policies and to respect the rule of law. The ICFTU has also repeated its demand that assassinations of trade unionists be ended and the current impunity over human rights issues be removed. Link to letter to Colombian President Uribe in Spanish: http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991217173&Language=ES For further information, please visit the CLR action alert back to top 1.4 FTAA UPDATE1.4.1 AFL-CIO EXECUTIVE BOARD ACTION PLAN TO OPPOSE THE FTAAAFL-CIO Executive Council Statement Nine years ago, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was put in place, linking the economies of the United States, Canada and Mexico. NAFTA eliminated trade barriers between the three North American countries and locked in a new regime of trade, investment and immigration rules - permanently altering the ability of state, federal and local governments in the region to regulate the economy and dramatically tilting the continental balance of power toward multinational corporations and away from working families, communities and domestic producers. The results have been predictable but devastating in all three countries: stagnant or falling wages, intractable poverty, growing inequality and the erosion of good jobs. Violations of North American workers' fundamental human rights, including the right to organize and bargain collectively, have continued, unaffected by the weak labor side agreement. Environmental problems have been exacerbated, not improved, by increased trade and investment flows in the absence of enforceable regulations. Small farmers in Mexico have been devastated by competition from subsidized agricultural imports. For the United States, the promised improved market access in Mexico never materialized. Instead of gaining a huge advantage in selling American-made goods to Mexico, as NAFTA proponents had promised, the United States has found itself importing from both Mexico and Canada much more than it exports. The result has been an ever-widening trade gap - the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and Canada has ballooned almost tenfold: from $9 billion in 1993 (the year before NAFTA went into effect) to $87 billion in 2002. Hundreds of thousands of high-paying American manufacturing jobs have been lost as a result of this failed trade policy. Astonishingly, in the face of this dismal record, the U.S. government is forging ahead with negotiations toward a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), a free trade agreement that would expand the failed NAFTA model to the rest of the western hemisphere (to include all 34 countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and North America, with the exception of Cuba). FTAA negotiations, which have been going on for several years, are scheduled to finish in 2005, when the agreement would come to a vote in each country. The U.S. Congress would vote on the FTAA under fast-track rules, meaning that it would not have a chance to amend the agreement, but could only vote it up or down. As we said in our earlier policy resolution on the FTAA (February 2001), "If the negotiations continue along their current path, they will yield an agreement that undermines workers' rights and environmental protections, exacerbates inequality in the hemisphere and constrains the ability of governments to regulate in the interests of public health and the environment. The AFL-CIO vigorously opposes the continuation of an FTAA negotiation process crafted along these lines." Recent developments in service sector negotiations, both under the multilateral General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in bilateral free trade agreements, are also cause for deep concern. We support a hemispheric social and economic integration process that includes responsibilities, not just rights, for companies; protects workers' rights and the environment; provides enforceable and effective protection against destabilizing import surges; and promotes sustainable, equitable and democratic development. While the FTAA ministers still have an opportunity to alter the course of the negotiations to respond to the concerns of the hemisphere's workers and civil society, there is no evidence to date that such a reversal is even being considered. On November 20th and 21st of this year, the trade ministers of the hemisphere will meet in Miami to launch the final stage of FTAA negotiations. This ministerial meeting presents a crucial opportunity for global justice advocates from all over the hemisphere to join in opposition to this failed trade model. Now is the time for the American labor movement to mobilize a grassroots education and outreach campaign here in the United States to build awareness about the FTAA and to educate our elected officials and candidates in preparation for the 2004 elections. Our actions now will determine the FTAA's future and thus the direction of economic development in the region for years to come. Popular opposition to the FTAA throughout the hemisphere is growing. The Hemispheric Social Alliance, a coalition of labor, environment, development, religious, indigenous, women's and family farm organizations, is organizing a popular consultation campaign throughout the hemisphere. Millions of people are rejecting the FTAA. Ten million Brazilian voters overwhelmingly opposed the FTAA in a plebiscite last year, and 1.8 million Mexicans are expected to submit ballots against the FTAA by March. ORIT, the regional federation of labor unions, representing over 40 million workers in the western hemisphere, has unequivocally rejected an FTAA modeled on NAFTA. But ultimately, the U.S. Congress will play a key role in determining whether a flawed FTAA will be foisted on a reluctant hemisphere or not. The ministerial in Miami and the elections in 2004 provide important opportunities to defeat the flawed FTAA. To take advantage fully of these opportunities, we are launching a campaign to educate our members, our elected representatives and the public about the dangers posed by the FTAA model and about our proposals for an equitable alternative. We will also continue to monitor negotiations toward a Central American Free Trade Agreement and other bilateral deals to ensure that our concerns are addressed and to keep pressure on the negotiators and our elected officials. This fall, the AFL-CIO and our allies will ensure that trade ministers in Miami hear the voices of popular opposition to their failed free trade model, and we will demand progress in implementing our program for social, political and economic development in the Americas. We will carry this message to the public and to our elected officials beyond Miami, to demand that the FTAA and other trade issues be debated in the 2004 elections. In order to build toward victories on the FTAA in Miami and beyond, the AFL-CIO and our affiliates will do the following in our FTAA campaign: Develop and disseminate popular materials on the FTAA and coordinate with allies to educate union members on the FTAA in a variety of ways, including town hall meetings, speaking tours and other local events; Ask American union members to join the millions of others in the hemisphere expressing their opposition to the FTAA by signing hundreds of thousands of postcards (print and on the Internet) to be delivered at the ministerial in Miami and encourage our allies to join the postcard campaign; Work with our global allies and community groups in Miami to highlight international solidarity and opposition to the FTAA at the November ministerial and demonstrate our shared vision for a more just alternative; Focus public scrutiny on the big corporations pushing the FTAA and expose their attacks on worker, environmental and consumer protections through free trade rules; and Through the AFL-CIO issues mobilization structure, including our state federations and central labor councils, we will work with Congress, state and local officials and political candidates to build broad-based political support for an alternative to the FTAA and to democratize the debate on trade leading up to the 2004 elections. back to top 1.4.2 GLOBAL EXCHANGE LESSONS FROM NAFTA TRI NATIONAL SPEAKING TOURGlobal Exchange, the San Francisco-based human rights group, is finalizing the dates for our "Lessons from NAFTA" Tri-National Speaking Tour. At least 25 separate events through the three countries Mexico, US, and Canada roughly scheduled from early April through mid-May. The goal of the speaking tour is to provide opportunities for community mobilization against the upcoming ministerial meetings of the FTAA and the WTO by creating space for international and local community dialogue about the negative impacts of the NAFTA on communities in all three countries. The tri-national speaking tour will include the participation of prominent representatives of social movements from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Since the timeframe involved is wide, different speakers may participate in different legs of the tour. Throughout, the tour will include a representative of the rural agricultural movement from Mexico to speak about the impacts of NAFTA on Mexican campesinos, a representative from the economic rights movement in the United States, as well as a representative from the health care sector in Canada. This vital juncture of the 10th anniversary of the signing of NAFTA with the arrival in North America of the ministerial meetings of both the FTAA and the WTO in the fourth quarter of 2003 provides a timely moment to present a critical perspective on the prevailing process of economic globalization. Please contact David Edeli at Global Exchange at (415) 575-5553 or trade@globalexchange.org for further information. back to top 1.5 CAFTA NEGOTIATIONS TARGETED IN CINCINNATIThe second round of CAFTA negotiations are taking place February 24th to the 28th in Cincinnati, Ohio. Daily pickets, organized by local solidarity and fair trade activists are being organized at the Hotel Millennium in Downtown Cincinnati where the negotiations are taking place. CAFTA negotiations officially began on January 27th with the opening meetings in Costa Rica. The negotiations will continue throughout 2003, roughly every month. The second round of negotiations were originally scheduled to occur in El Salvador, but were moved because of the mass mobilizations taking place against the privatization of health care and against CAFTA and free trade. On Saturday, February 21, two Catholic missionaries from Cincinnati began a seven-day water-only fast at the gates of the US Embassy in El Salvador, to protest the CAFTA negotiations. Call your Congressperson to add your voice to the many that have already stated their opposition. Requested Actions: 1. Contact your Representative and Senator in Congress:
Call on them to demand increased civil society House of Representatives: http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.php
Senate: http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.php 2. Sign on to the People's Declaration Against Free Trade by going to www.cispes.org/cafta, e-mailing cafta@cispes.org, or calling 212-465-8115. 3. If you're near Cincinnati, join the daily informational pickets
on FEBRUARY 24TH, 25TH, 26TH, and 27TH (MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) FROM
12 NOON UNTIL 1:00PM. And on Friday February 28th, from 4:30-6:00pm,
join The CAFTA Coalition is made up of grassroots solidarity, fair trade, labor, and human rights organizations working to stop the Central America Free Trade Agreement and the FTAA. For more information, please contact the CAFTA Coalition at cafta@cispes.org or the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) at 212-465-8115 or via e-mail at cispes@cispes.org. You can also visit www.cispes.org/cafta back to top 2. DOMESTIC STRUGGLES2.1 AZTECA FOODS STRIKE UPDATESome Good News: Azteca Accepts Federal Mediation! Your Support Needed Now More Than Ever! CALL Azteca Foods owner Art Velasquez and demand he negotiate a fair contract. Azteca workers have on the picket line since September 30th in a unfair labor practice strike sparked by Azteca's use of threats and surveillance last summer. In addition they are fighting unjustified takeaways by the company. After months of persistent requests by UE, backed by tremendous community and worldwide support, Azteca Foods CEO Art Velasquez has agreed to accept Federal Mediation in contract negotiations. While Azteca workers welcome Azteca's acceptance of federal mediations in their struggle for justice, they know that mediation provides no guarantee that the company is ready and willing to negotiate a fair first contract. They are, however, hopeful that this development indicates that real progress can finally be made at the bargaining table. Members of UE Local 1159 know that they must continue to pressure the company for a fair contract, despite the breakthrough Azteca's acceptance of mediation represents. They deeply appreciate all of the local community support and the solidarity messages that have been sent on their behalf by people worldwide. (This story can be found at: PLEASE HELP: Keep up the pressure on Azteca to convince the company to start making real progress at the bargaining table: CONTACT Azteca Foods owner Art Velasquez at 800-475-7997 and tell him to stop stalling and negotiate a fair contract now! ENCOURAGE other activists and organizations to sign the pledge of support
at the UE website: SEND a letter to the editor of your local newspapers and let them know that a national boycott of Azteca products is going on and encourage others to contact the company. SEND this message out to all listserves that you participate in and let them know about the workers' fight for dignity, respect and justice. Ask them to contact Azteca by phone and let the company know that they are supporting the boycott. back to top 2.2 CALIFORNIA ARTICHOKE FARMWORKERS WIN LAWSUITAfter a two-year legal battle, a group of California farmworkers are celebrating a $181,000 settlement from the country's No. 1 artichoke producer. The farmworkers, represented by the United Farm Workers, received the settlement in late January from Ocean Mist Farms, a Castroville-based artichoke producer. They claimed they were not paid for the time they spent going to the fields on company buses and not compensated for the time that they spent gearing up for field work. For more information about this victory, visit http://www.ufw.org/21203.htm. back to top 3. INTERNATIONAL STRUGGLES3.1 ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING 130 MILLION WORKERS SAY NO TO WAR!Over 200 unions and 550 union leaders from 53 countries representing 130 million workers have signed the International Labor Declaration circulated by USLAW, beginning just ten days ago. Workers of the world have spoken with a single voice, demanding that the US abandon its militaristic threats of illegal aggression against Iraq and that a peaceful means be pursued to assure that Iraq has dismantled and abandoned all weapons proscribed by the UN resolutions. They have said in unison, "Give peace a chance!" This is the first time in history that the world's labor movements have come together to speak with a single voice on an issue of urgent international concern. On Wednesday, February 19, USLAW convened an unprecedented global telephone press conference to brief the media about the Declaration and its signatories. Participating in that call were representatives of major labor federations and unions in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Quebec, France, England, Tunisia, Pakistan, Brazil, Australia, and Italy. The press conference was broadcast in real time on the World Wide Web and a recording of it will be posted shortly on the USLAW Website. International Labor Statement Opposing War Against Iraq February, 2003On the eve of a threatened war against Iraq, we, trade unionists from around the world, join with U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW) and the U.S. unions, representing more than 4 million workers, who have opposed this war. As trade unionists we have the responsibility to inform all working people about issues that affect their lives, jobs and families, and to be heard in the international debate on these issues. We oppose a US led war against Iraq for many reasons. There is no evident purpose for this war that we can support. There is no convincing link between Iraq and Al Qaeda or the attacks on Sept.11, and neither the Bush administration nor the UN inspections have demonstrated that Iraq poses a real threat to Americans and other nations. It is clear that military action in Iraq will actually increase the likelihood of retaliatory terrorist acts around the world against Western targets. This action against Iraq by the U.S. military and others nations that may join them, threatens the peaceful resolution of disputes among states, jeopardizing the safety and security of the entire world. We know that the principal victims of any military action in Iraq will be the sons and daughters of working class families who serve in the military forces and innocent Iraqi civilians who have already suffered so much. We have no quarrel with the ordinary working class men, women and children of Iraq, or any other country. We oppose the spending of billions of dollars to stage and execute this war when our nations need money for education, healthcare, housing, and other basic needs. We oppose the use of this war, and the threat of war, as pretext for attacks on labor, civil, immigrant and human rights in the United States and in other nations. We believe Bush's drive for war serves as a cover and distraction for the sinking U.S. economy, corporate corruption, and layoffs. As representatives of the labor movement around the world, we have long had an historic role in fighting for justice. We urge our members to actively protest this war. At the onset of the 21st Century we join with the vast majority of the people of the world who seek a better life and who yearn for a peaceful resolution to this and other international disputes. For more information, visit www.uslaboragainstwar.org. back to top 3.2 UNITE SAYS NO TO WAR!On February 13th, the General Executive Board of UNITE came out with a strong resolution against a war on Iraq. To read the resolution, go to http://www.uniteunion.org/pressbox/release.cfm?ID=37. back to top
3.3 RUNAWAY EMPLOYER AT PAR GARMENTS IN THAILANDCALL, WRITE or EMAIL the CEOS of the GAP, Wal-Mart, Gymboree, and Tommy Hilfiger and demand justice for the workers of Par Garments of Thailand. One hundred and forty nine Thai garment factory workers have been left without jobs or compensation, with salary and overtime unpaid after their employer 'ran away' from his responsibilities to his workers and to his loan payments to the Bangkok Bank in December last year (2002). The Par Garments factory in Pathum Tanee an industrial area on the northern outskirts of Bangkok - produced garments for international brand names Gap, Wal-Mart, Nike, and Tommy Hilfiger. On the morning of 18 December 2002 the workers arrived at work to find the factory gates locked. A Bankruptcy Court notice on the gates stated that the Par Garments factory had been put into liquidation by the Bangkok Bank the day before. Factory owner Apiwat Latinat Mongalat (Mr. A) had failed to make loan repayments to the bank on time. The 149 Par Garments workers are now challenging the international brand name companies to pressure Mr A to pay the salary and overtime payments owed along with providing jobs in either of the two factories operating in the province (for those who are willing to relocate) and compensation for those who are unable to relocate. They believe that as the international companies are actively benefiting from Mr A's use of low-wage non-union workers in provincial Thailand. These companies must accept their share of responsibility to the workers who make their products. The Par Garment union is calling upon the Ministry of Labor to pay the full compensation owed to the workers from the compensation fund; the Ministry can then take action to recover the money from Mr. A. Those who have worked for more than 10 years at Par Garments are entitled to 10 months salary as compensation for loss of their jobs. PAR GARMENT WORKERS DEMANDS:
GAP TOMMY HILFIGER GYMBOREE WAL-MART back to top 3.4 SUPPORT MAQUILA WORKERS IN HONDURASCONTACT Maquila Soldarity Network if any organizations you work with or know of order bulk t-shirts from Gilden Activewear. The Montreal-based T-shirt manufacturer Gildan Activewear was recently in the news for allegations of worker rights violations at a Gildan-owned factory in Honduras. On November 24, 2002, ten days after filing for the registration of a union, 38 workers who signed the application letter were called one by one to the Personnel Manager's office, told they were fired and escorted out of the industrial park by a security guard. Workers who continue to be employed at Gildan report of supervisors saying people were fired for signing up for the union, and of the Production Manager stating that organizing a union will not be permitted at the factory. REQUESTED ACTION:Please investigate whether any organizations or institutions to which you are connected -- clubs, charity run, universities, high schools, municipal governments, sports events -- are bulk purchasers of Gildan T-shirts. Suggest that they contact MSN for information on how to register their concern to Gildan Activewear. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a boycott campaign. Our objective is to pressure Gildan to respect its workers' rights, not to threaten workers' employment in Canada or Honduras. Maquila Solidarity Network / Ethical Trading Action Group back to top 4. ANNOUNCEMENTS4.1 STITCH WOMENS LANGUAGE SCHOOL DELEGATION MAY 24 - JUNE, 2003 IN GUATEMALALong before that banana hits the supermarket or that t-shirt reaches the department store- Women work. Women organize. Women make change. Connect with US and Guatemalan women activists. Study Spanish. Understand what the Free Trade of the Americas Agreement (FTAA) really means for women workers in Central America. Meet pioneering organizers and learn how you can take part in the struggle for global economic justice. Join us on the STITCH Women's Language School Delegation! The STITCH women's delegation combines excellent Spanish instruction with an in-depth look at the effects of free trade on women workers and unionists. We will spend five mornings learning Spanish with one-on-one instruction at the well-respected school La Union in the colonial town of Antigua, Guatemala. In the afternoons, we will talk with women fighting for better conditions in the booming textile industry nearby. We will engage in candid conversations with union leaders tackling trade issues and learn about what women are doing to empower themselves in the face of corporate-led globalization. In the final days of the delegation, we will travel to the plantations in Central Guatemala to hear from other workers affected by free trade policies- banana workers. There, we will hear from women organizing in their worksites and communities. To request more information or an application, please contact: STITCH- 1525 Newton St, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 265-3790 stitchdc@earthlink.net This delegation is open to women only. The cost of the delegation is $800 and includes housing, all meals, language instruction, and travel inside Guatemala. Participants must pay their own way to Guatemala City and cover incidental costs such as snacks and tips. Limited scholarships are available. Applications are due by April 1, 2003. back to top 4.2 NEW MUSICAL CESAR AND RUBEN OPENING IN LOS ANGELESNew musical Cesar and Ruben by longtime supporter Ed Begley Jr. to show in Los Angeles The United Farm Workers is proud to join with the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation and the Chavez family are proud to announce the world premiere of Ed Begley, Jr.'s new play, Cesar and Ruben. The play will premiere at North Hollywood's El Portal Theatre on March 14 and run through April 27. Cesar and Ruben celebrates the life and work of civil rights farm labor leader Cesar Chavez and the award-willing Los Angeles Times columnist Ruben Salazar, who frequently wrote about Cesar. The play is a powerful way to educate current and future generations about Cesar's legacy. The Chavez Foundation and family collaborated with Ed on Cesar and Ruben's historical content to further endow this brilliant and moving story that places Cesar squarely among the ranks of world figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. The play features songs by Sting, Ruben Blades, Peter Gabriel, Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana, Enrique Iglesias, David Crosby and Carmen Moreno. For more information about Cesar and Ruben, please visit back to top 4.3 NEW YORK UNION SEMESTER PROGRAMThe New York Union Semester Program is now accepting applications for the Fall 2003 program! Live, work, study and be a part of the New York City labor movement! Applications are available NOW online! New York Union Semester is an academic internship program offered by Queens College/CUNY that gives students the opportunity to intern with a labor union in New York City while taking labor studies classes at Queens College's Mid-Manhattan campus. Students earn 12 to 16 credits, receive a $210 weekly stipend and are awarded a $1700 tuition scholarship. Both undergraduates and recent college graduates are eligible to apply! Whether you are interested in public policy or teaching, economics
or journalism, New York Union Semester may be right for you. New York
Union Semester seeks students from all majors and backgrounds who have Currently, the Spring 2003 semester is well underway, and participants are involved in exciting campaigns with local unions and community organizations such as UNITE!, Transport Workers Union Local 100 and Citizen Action! Past participating organizations have included the SEIU Local 1199, the National Employment Law Project, ACORN and Jobs with Justice. APPLY NOW! The application deadline for Fall 2003 is April 15th and is quickly approaching! To obtain more information and an application visit the website at www.qc.edu/unionsemester. You may direct any questions or comments to Johanna Jones, the Program Coordinator at 212-827-0200 or email unionsemester@qc.edu. We look forward to receiving your application! back to top 5. RESOURCES5.1 NEW PLAN PUEBLA PANAMA PAMPHLETPlan Puebla Panama: Battle Over The Future of Southern Mexico and Central America To dowload the booklet in English or Spanish go to: The Plan Puebla Panama (PPP) is a $10 billion, 25-year-long series of industrialization projects that is steamrolling through the whole region of Mesoamerica, including 9 states in southern Mexico and the 7 countries of Central America. The plan threatens to displace hundreds of indigenous communities and destroy precious rainforest and wetland ecosystems. This 48-page, (5.5" x 8.5") illustrated booklet details corporate globalization's latest threats to Mesoamerica as well as the challenges and resistance the PPP faces. The booklet covers a range of social and ecological issues that fall under the umbrella of PPP. It is designed for grassroots education and outreach in North America. It will be a valuable tool for your organizing efforts, helping spread the word about the dangers of corporate globalization as well as the growing resistance to the PPP in Mexico and Central America. The booklet is the product of a collective effort between the organizations that make up the Network Opposed to the Plan Puebla Panama (NoPPP), with collaboration from Mexican, Central American and North American civil society groups. back to top 5.2 WORLD BANK: UNIONS CAN IMPROVE ECONOMIESThe positive impact of trade unions in economic development, as well as evidence showing the role of trade unions in combating discrimination and in reducing inequality, are among the central findings of a new World Bank publication, launched today. According to the ICFTU, however, there is still a long way to go in terms of translating these findings into policy at the national level. The report, "Unions and Collective Bargaining", reaffirms the Bank's support for the core labor standards "as important elements of a well-functioning labor market". Based on a survey of more than a thousand studies on the economic effects of unions and collective bargaining, the newly released book concludes that high unionization rates often lead to lower inequality of earnings, decreased wage discrimination against women and minority workers, and improved economic performance. It finds that the positive impacts of unionization tend to be greater in countries with highly coordinated collective bargaining than in countries where the labor movement is more fragmented. The Bank's communiqué announcing the launch includes statements endorsing the positive economic impact of "sound industrial relations" from managing director Mamphela Ramphele. The lead author of the book, Zafiris Tzannatos, is quoted as stating that with the transformations brought about by globalization, "labor standards can no longer be the concern of just individual governments but also of the entire international community. [...] Labor standards are now a prominent item on the international agenda and are likely to stay there for a long time to come". Of particular significance on the eve of the eighth ICFTU World Women's Conference, which opens next week in Melbourne, is the fact that the publication also points to the marked benefits of unionization for women workers. According to the report, union membership tends to reduce wage differences between men and women. "Although it comes as no surprise to the ICFTU, this public acknowledgement by the World Bank, backed by in-depth research is welcome," said ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder, "The Bank must now go on to translate these important findings into policy, which may involve a significant shift in its organizational culture. In contrast to the worker-friendly statements at the global level, country-level Bank staff still routinely advise governments to, in effect, violate the core labor standards by making access to unionization and collective bargaining more difficult." "Unions and Collective Bargaining: Economic Effects in a Global Environment", which is 185 pages long, will shortly be available on the World Bank's web site (www.worldbank.org) in English only. Visit www.icftu.org for further information. back to top 5.3 TWO LINKS ON GLOBAL LIVING WAGESThe first link, from the Ethical Trading Intiative, provides a formula for calculating global living wages. The second link is to a twenty page report written by a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst; the report shows the results of approximately 40 living wage ordinances from around the world. (1) http://www.eti.org.uk/pub/publications/2000/06-livwage/index.shtml#how-quant back to top
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