We Still Say NO to CAFTA!

Posted June 24, 2004

Last month, the trade ministers of the five Central American countries, along with the US Trade Representative, signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement. CAFTA, a devastating free trade agreement modeled after NAFTA, can now be sent to Congress for a vote any time the Administration wishes.  

The only thing stopping them is that they don’t have the votes.  And we need to ensure that they don’t get them.

One of our greatest challenges is the President's threat to pass CAFTA during the lame duck session after the election. This "back-door" strategy must be stopped; tell your representative NOW that they should not support CAFTA if it comes to a vote.

There are many ways in which you can do this:

--MEET WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS. Call your member of Congress at their local office to arrange a meeting, perhaps including their staff person who is working on trade issue.

If you need support on how to hold an advocacy meeting, lobby materials and other CAFTA info rmation are available in the Stop CAFTA lobbying kit at www.stopcafta.org. ** Para materiales en espanol vaya a la pagina de web de United for Fair Economy**.

--Global Exchange is arranging a volunteer PHONE BANKING day in San Francisco . They will be calling supporters across the country to urge them to tell their representative "Say NO to CAFTA." For more info rmation and how to get involved, write Jamie Guzzi at Jamie@globalexchange.org

--ORGANIZE A CALL-IN DAY. Cookies against CAFTA: Fight CAFTA with cookies, by setting up a table with an available cellphone at a local college or university, food coop, church, or other local site. Everyone who calls Congress gets a cookie.

Promote a call in day with union locals and sympathetic churches and synagogues in your area. Have a concise sample phone script with phone numbers to call to give to people.

--ORGANIZE A TEACH-IN OR EDUCATIONAL EVENT about CAFTA in your community, possibly at a local university. Hold a community forum on the impact of CAFTA on your locality as well as its impact on the people Central America . Work with local Central American immigrant organizations, making links with their struggles for immigrant rights and legalization.

READ MORE about why CAFTA is so terrible. Check out www.campaignforlaborrights.com for recent statements against CAFTA.