HUMOUR:

FREE TRADE OLD STYLE:

Molly has recently found a great treasure trove of cartoons at the Kirtktoons site. Some of these may be dated, and I'm not sure that the artist is still drawing, but this is the first in a selection of what he has done.

HUMOUR:

FREE (?) TRADE:

CANADIAN LABOUR:

A DEAL ?:

Canada and that tiny insignificant country to the south of us, what was its name, oh yeah the USA, have recently signed an agreement giving Canadian firms access to the stimulus money spent by the government in 37 states. The trouble is that almost all of the money has already been spent. In return these states have been granted perpetual access to bid on any municipal and provincial contracts of any Canadian provinces that may sign up to the deal negotiated by the federal Conservative government. The government, and most of the sheepish media, have been touting this as a great "victory", even though it restricts the power of Canadian localities to create local jobs in perpetuity while chasing a pot of gold that has pretty well be drained already. Others, such as the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) don't think this is so great. Here's their opinion.

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Trade deal short-changes provinces, cities:
OTTAWA - “The new trade agreement forged by Canada and the United States as a way to side-step U.S. ‘Buy America’ provisions amounts to Canada giving away the farm for very little in return,” says CUPE National President Paul Moist.

The agreement, which opens up Canada’s municipal and provincial procurement markets to the U.S., will give American companies access to over $100 billion in Canada’s annual sub-federal procurement market.

“This agreement is certainly good news for American corporate interests, but there is very little assurance that this agreement will create good jobs for Canadians,” said Moist.

With the bulk of U.S. stimulus money already spent, the deal does very little to resolve the issue that started the dispute – specifically, that Canada could not profit from U.S. stimulus dollars. However, the new agreement will leave the ‘Buy America’ provisions basically intact, and only applies to the 37 states that have signed on to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA).

Meanwhile, under WTO rules provinces and municipalities will lose an important policy tool in the form of local purchasing power.

“Buy local policies are good for the environment and for Canadian businesses, and they keep jobs and tax revenues in the community. Why the Harper government would enter Canada into such an uneven deal for Canada is baffling,” said Moist.

The agreement may also open the floodgates to increased privatization of public services such as water and hydro. While provincial and municipal procurement was previously excluded from NAFTA, now U.S. investors will be able to launch Chapter 11 investor rights challenges if they feel provinces or municipalities are taking policy actions that harm their interests.

“This deal commits Canadian governments to forfeit valuable procurement sovereignty, while the U.S. offer is largely empty. This kind of risk is the last thing we need during an economic slowdown. Our government needs to look at improving its own record of research, development and innovation, instead of selling our provinces and municipalities short.”
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For more information, contact:

CUPE Media Relations – 613-852-1494

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR/AMERICAN LABOUR:

TWO MORE MURDERED IN COLOMBIA:

The following story is from the American AFL-CIO blog. the country of Colombia is one of the most repressive in the western hemisphere and it is particularly unsafe for those who oppose the narco-terrorists who hold power as American allies in that country. Molly has blogged repeatedly on this subject before, telling just how dangerous it is to be an ordinary unionist in that country, fighting for simple rights and a slight improvement in living conditions. Just as here in Canada the political elite in the USA want to reward the Colombian government for its sins of both commission and omission by granting a free trade agreement with that country. Just like here in Canada labour is opposed to awarding murders such privileges. Here's the story from the AFL-CIO giving one more reason for their opposition.

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Colombians Mourn Colleagues Killed in Past Two Months:
by James Parks, Nov 24, 2009
When 14 Colombian trade union members were in the United States for a training program, they were unable to forget just how dangerous it is to support unions in their home country. During the two months they were here, four of their colleagues were assassinated.

In a memorial service at AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C., yesterday, we joined the Solidarity Center and the Colombian workers to honor those who were killed and to reaffirm our determination to fight for workers’ and human rights in that country.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler told the group:
"We want our Colombian sisters and brothers to know that as we fight for basic trade union rights in this country, we are totally dedicated to their struggle to organize and collectively bargain in an atmosphere free of fear, terror and violence."

Shuler noted the AFL-CIO has recognized the courage, strength and valor of the Colombian union movement by presenting the 2008 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Colombian human rights activist Yessika Hoyos.





The Colombian workers participated in the Trade Union Strengthening program sponsored by the Solidarity Center, with funding and support from the U.S. Department of Labor. As part of the program, the Colombians joined union organizers on the ground for three weeks. They worked with organizers from AFSCME, TCU/IAM, North Shore (Mass.) Labor Council, Sacramento Central Labor Council and the Teamsters. TCU/IAM, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Teamsters also provided training for the Colombians.





Colombia is the deadliest country in the world for trade unionists. At least 34 trade unionists have been killed this year in Colombia, with 10 deaths in the past eight weeks alone.





Jose Diogenes Orjuela Garcia, organizing director of the Colombian CUT union federation, said at the memorial service:
"We want to have a country where union rights and human rights are respected. If you add up all the acts of violence [against union members] there have been more than 10,000 in the past 20 years. "

Both Shuler and Garcia made it clear that the United States should not sign a free trade agreement with Colombia until the violence against union members ends. Says Shuler:
"The AFL-CIO stands with the…entire Colombian labor movement in their continued opposition to the Colombia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. We cannot permit a permanent trade instrument that incorporates a labor market based on the literal assassination of workers and their unions.

For us, these struggles are one and the same. We are fighting for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act not only to help end the unchecked violations of organizing and collective bargaining rights by employers in this country, but to set a new standard for the United States and its corporations operating in Colombia and throughout the globe."

CANADIAN POLITICS:
CHANGING IGGY'S MIND:
It's been a little while since I passed on the appeal for Colombian city of workers who were forced out of their jobs by the repressive government of that country, one that the Harper Conservatives plan to impliment a free trade deal with. Here is a follow-up, also from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) asking you to put pressure on Michael Ignatieff, the leader of the federal Liberal party to refuse to support Harper's plans. The plan agreement will not pass without Liberal support, and this would be a good time for The Ig to show that he has a smidgeon of conscience rather than being one more calculating politicians. Is such a thing possible ? Qualms of conscience have come about in the strangest places in human history. Maybe they can here as well.
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We have two weeks to change Iggy's mind on Colombia 2 semaines pour convaincre Michael Ignatieff‏:
I'm writing because the Harper government has tabled a bill that would implement a free trade agreement with the Colombian government. The same government that privatized the Cali workers' jobs, the same one that has watched over the deaths of 2,500 trade unionists, human rights activists and community leaders since 2006.





Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff could stop this bill when it comes to a vote in the next few weeks. The Conservatives need the Liberals' support to pass it. Right now, they have it.
Send Ignatieff a message that will change his mind.
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Je vous écris parce que le gouvernement Harper a déposé un projet de loi visant l’entrée en vigueur d’une entente de libre-échange conclue avec le gouvernement de Colombie. Il s’agit du même gouvernement qui a privatisé les emplois des travailleurs de Cali, le même gouvernement qui, depuis 1986, s’est fait complice de la mort de 2 500 syndicalistes, militants des droits de la personne et dirigeants des mouvements communautaires.





Le chef libéral, Michael Ignatieff, peut bloquer ce projet de loi lorsqu’il sera proposé au vote d’ici quelques semaines. Les conservateurs ont besoin de l’appui des libéraux pour que la loi soit adoptée et en ce moment, ils peuvent compter sur leur appui.
Faites parvenir un message à M. Ignatieff en espérant qu’il contribuera à le faire changer d’idée.
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Here's more on the situation as it stands today.

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Michael Ignatieff can halt free trade with Colombia:
Michael Ignatieff can stop free trade with Colombia. Harper's Conservatives have tabled a bill that would implement the deal they negotiated with the Uribe government. But they need the Liberal's support.





The Liberal leader supports the deal even though the Uribe government has the worst human rights record in Latin America.





He needs to re-think that and you can help him.





Under Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s watch, an estimated 5 million Colombians have been forcibly displaced through land seizures, and trade unionists and civil society activists risk death simply for advocating basic labour rights.





More than 2,500 have been killed by the state and its paramilitaries since 1986, including 40 in 2008.
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THE LETTER:
Please go to THIS LINK to send the following message to Michael Ignatieff.
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I am writing to urge you to you and the Liberal Party to reject the Canada-Colombia trade deal.





Under the government of President Alvaro Uribe, the Colombian people are living in a constant state of poverty and fear.





The Uribe government has one of the worst human rights records in the world.





Under Uribe’s watch, an estimated 5 million Colombians have been forcibly displaced through land seizures, trade unionists and civil society activists risk death simply for advocating basic labour rights.





More than 2,500 have been killed by the state and its paramilitaries since 1986, including 40 in 2008.





And yet the Harper Conservatives have tabled legislation to implement a free trade agreement with Colombia.





Human rights must come before trade.





I hope the Liberal Party will put the well-being of 45 million Colombians first, and oppose ratifying the impending trade deal with Colombia.

CANADIAN POLITICS-INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS:

REJECT THE CANADA/COLOMBIA FREE TRADE DEAL:

Last Thursday our ruling Conservative government introduced a motion in the House of Commons calling for a free trade deal with Colombia. Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist, as the following story from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) makes plain.

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CUPE to opposition parties: reject deal with Colombia:
This morning, Trade Minister Stockwell Day introduced in the House of Commons a free-trade agreement with Colombia.

“We are urging opposition parties to reject this bill. I cannot understand why Prime Minister Harper is prepared to sign agreements with a country that sees trade unionists murdered at a rate more than the entire world experiences in total, or with a country where the drug trade, and the paramilitary forces have a grip on a $6 billion illegal business,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist.

Moist, who visited Colombia with other Canadian public sector union leaders, is suitably convinced that the Colombian government does not respect human or labour rights.

Today, Jorge Enrique Robledo, a member of the National Senate in Colombia met with CUPE officials in Ottawa to ask for Canadians' support in denouncing the bill.

Harper says that workers’ protection has been written into the trade deals. But whether these stipulations will be enforced is another story. “More labour leaders are killed every year in Colombia than the rest of the world combined,” said Moist.

The Colombian government has consistently failed to investigate these murders, largely because most are committed by government-linked paramilitary death squads. The paramilitaries work on behalf of powerful land owners, the right-wing political establishment, and even some transnational corporations.

“I know CUPE will remain aligned with Colombian workers and we will not stop seeking the justice they so very much deserve,” said Moist.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-CANADA/COLOMBIA:

FREE TRADE WITH COLOMBIA:

Our dearly beloved government is preparing to have parliament ratify a free trade pact with the country of Colombia, despite the fact that that benighted land has the highest rate of murder of trade unionists in the world. The pact is similar to that recently rejected by the US Congress for precisely the reason mentioned. It says something when you're willing to take up deals that even the US government rejects. Here's what the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says about the deal.

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Free trade with Colombia a cruel move:

Despite being declared the largest labour rights offender in the world, Colombia has signed a free trade deal with Canada.

“I cannot understand why the Prime Minister, who has called China on their human rights violations, is prepared to sign agreements with a country that sees trade unionists murdered at a rate more than the entire world experiences in total, or with a country where the drug trade, and the paramilitary forces have a grip on a $6 billion illegal business,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist.

Moist, who toured Colombia last summer with other Canadian public sector union leaders, is suitably convinced that the Colombian government does not respect human or labour rights.

But while United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and U.S. President-elect Barack Obama have expressed concern over free trade with Colombia, Harper is siding with President Bush, who is pushing for a free trade deal with Colombia before he leaves office.

Harper says that workers’ protection has been written into the trade deals. But whether these stipulations will be enforced is another story. “More labour leaders are killed every year in Colombia than the rest of the world combined. And 474 labour leaders have been killed since Uribe took power in 2002,” said Moist.

The Colombian government has consistently failed to investigate these murders, largely because most are committed by government-linked paramilitary death squads. The paramilitaries work on behalf of powerful land owners, the right-wing political establishment, and even some transnational corporations.

“I know CUPE will remain aligned with Colombian workers and we will not stop seeking the justice they so very much deserve. The Harper government has made a terrible, heartless decision in signing a trade agreement with Colombia,” said Moist.

CANADIAN POLITICS:

A HIDDEN ELECTION ISSUE:

Like most elections in Canada and the USA our present one is being fought mainly around image rather than issues, spiced by occasional scandal as candidates from all three major parties are forced to withdraw for this that and the other thing. Sometimes issues are actually hard to drag into public view, as the Harper government is definitely the most secretive one in recent Canadian history. One of the issues that doesn't seem to hit the radar screen is international trade, whether it be with Columbia, the USA or whomever. Here's an item from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) about one Harper initiative that should get people thinking.

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EU trade talks: no secrecy:
The Canadian Union of Public Employees is asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end his secrecy surrounding Canada-European Union trade talks and make it an election issue. The potential trade deal has serious implications for Canadians, and details about the agreement must be made public as citizens choose their next government.

Recent media reports have revealed that Canadian and European officials have drafted a plan to achieve “deep economic integration”. Official talks are expected to be launched at the EU Canada Summit in Montreal on October 17th, three days after the federal election.

While business groups have been prominent in pushing the agreement forward, labour and citizens groups have been excluded. Harper has also been very involved in the plan, but has said nothing in the lead up to the election. Harper’s secrecy about a massive trade deal flies in the face of his promise to provide greater accountability.

Meanwhile, Canadians are left trying to figure out what it all means, with absolutely no tangible information. But for many workers across the country, this deal could have serious implications:
**The text reportedly proposes an open market in government services and procurement, which would allow European companies to bid as equals on public sector contracts. This would take jobs, profits and business opportunities away from Canadians.
**There is no indication that any social or environmental protections would be part of a Canada-EU trade deal. Notably, Canada would have little ability to influence regulations in relation to the EU. Labour standards and product labelling could be compromised.
**It is unlikely that Canadians working overseas would be able to attain the level of social protections that Europeans benefit from.
**The text reportedly boasts an economic windfall of $15 billion for Canada. While it may seem large, $15 billion only amounts to one per cent of Canada’s current GDP. Moreover, the actual credibility of the calculations will remain dubious until they are made available to the public.
**The Canada-EU trade deal will be sold to Canadians as an opportunity for Canada to position itself as a gateway for Europe to the Americas, and reap the economic benefits that come with that role. This would appear to be wishful thinking, given that the EU has bilateral trade relations with over 37 countries, including eight in the Americas. Moreover, progress on EU-US trade relations seems likely in the near future.

The North American Free Trade Agreement has already ushered in privatization and foreign ownership while threatening quality Canadian jobs. We need to renegotiate our current trade agreements. Why should Canada enter a new trade deal with Europe if our own Prime Minister can’t share the details with us during an election?

ONGOING PROTESTS IN OTTAWA, MONTEBELLO AND OTHER POINTS:

The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America(SPP) has often been referred to as "NAFTA on steroids". It is a agreement originally founded in 2005 at a summit of the leaders of the USA, Canada and Mexico. Since then the ongoing negotiations have included secret negotiations in Banff Springs in September 2006. The continued negotiations are being carried on behind the backs of the electorates of the three countries involved with no opportunity for debate in their legislatures, let alone among their publics. The SPP involves a tight integration of the economies of the three countries whereby no issue will be "off the table" amongst the parties involved, whether it be Mexican oil or Canadian water. It also involves much closer integration of the defense policies of the countries involved than has previously been the case.

This means essentially the freedom of corporations to have access to whatever source of cheap labour they desire, their access to natural resources and their ability to bypass local labour and environmental regulations. It means a transfer of power from local communities to distant corporate offices. It also means the tighter integration of military and police functions across North America and the surrender of sovereignty by Mexico and Canada to the USA in many areas such as immigration. This means increased exploitation of cheap Mexican guest workers in both the USA and Canada, easing the pressure in these two countries for labour standards to conform to local standards. The Vancouver group of No One is Illegal has done an excellent summary of the implications of this plot, and Molly urges her readers to consult it. Others who are opposed to the SPP have also voiced their opposition. These include:

The Council of Canadians:Integrate This

The Canadian Labour Congress

The Centre for Research on Globalization

Wikipedia also has a "presumably" neutral article (if the CIA hasn't "modified" it too much this minute) on the issue. Watch out for changes if they haven't been embarrassed enough by this time. The official site of the SPP is http://www.spp.gov/ if you want to see the plot in their own words. Other sites that can give information on the SPP include:

http://www.nowar-paix.ca/

http://nowar.ca/

http://acp-cpa.ca/

http://psp-spp.com/

Protests have been ongoing in the Ottawa, Montreal and Outaouais region for some days now. Arrests have already been made in preliminary protests at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa (THE place where Canada's ruling class has always met to plot evil). Activists have already gathered from across Ontario and Quebec to protest the upcoming meeting of the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the American Imperium that begins tomorrow. Camps have already been established for protesters on the perimeter of Montibello in the Gatineau Hills in Quebec east of Ottawa. Sympathy demonstrations will be held in various cities across Canada, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, St. Catherines, Toronto, Windsor Montreal and Fredericton. Here in Winnipeg the demo will be held on Monday, August 20th at the Federal Building at Main and Water from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Other demos will be held in the USA and Mexico.

As we speak demonstrations have begun in the Ottawa area. Some disagreements with the local police have occurred outside the PSAC building at 233 Gilmour St. in Ottawa where activists from the Peoples' Global Action network had arranged for a meeting with the PSAC union. The Ottawa Indymedia site is providing up to the minute coverage of the events, along with live radio broadcasts in English, French and Spanish as http://www.ckut.ca:8000/live.org . If this link doesn't work refer to Ottawa Indymedia for updated coverage and a working site. Several incidents of minor vandalism have also occurred at bank sites in Ottawa and the CN rail lines in Montreal.

Once more, for ongoing coverage stay tuned to Ottawa Indymedia. More on this on Molly's Blog as it develops.