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Just say no to the
Free Trade Area of the Americas or FTAA
Just
what is the FTAA anyway?
The latest international trade
agreement is called the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Based on NAFTA,
the FTAA is currently being negotiated by the US and over 30 other
western hemisphere countries, from Canada to Chile. As usual, the
negotiations are being held in secret, but reports indicate it contains
no labor and environmental provisions, and in fact, encourages business
practices that ignore such standards. The AFL-CIO has resolved to fight
for 'enforceable workers" rights and environmental protections in
the core of all new trade and investment agreements... including the
Free Trade Area of the Americas, and to "vigorously oppose any
agreements that fall short of this standard."
Why should I
be concerned?
The goal of the FTAA is to
build on NAFTA by further "reducing barriers to trade". It
will contain a series of commitments to "liberalize" services
— including education, health care, environmental services (including
access to water), energy, postal services and anything else we pay for
that isn’t a physical object.
The FTAA effectively
increases privatization and deregulation in the western hemisphere — a
very "business friendly" agreement that takes power away from
governments and increases that of corporations.
Presently, under chapter 11 of NAFTA, foreign corporations are empowered
to sue governments directly for losses incurred due to the removal of
domestic standards or laws —usually designed to protect public health
and safety. This is called "investor-state" clause. The FTAA
plans to expand upon this, explicitly valuing corporate profits over
human costs.
Recent
examples under NAFTA :
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The Canadian government
was forced to pay $13 million in damages and to drop its ban on the
gasoline additive MMT after being sued by the U.S.-based Ethyl
Corporation. MMT, also know as methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl, is a manganese compound which, when burned in
automobile engines, results in manganese air pollution.
The relationship
between high doses of inhaled manganese and various manifestations
of neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and reproductive toxicity
has been well documented by neuroscientists. The federal government
banned MMT in Canada as a health protection measure. The Canadian
government chose to settle with the Ethyl Corporation before the
NAFTA arbitration panel could rule, providing Ethyl with $US13
million and an apology.
-
In October 2000, Canada
lost another Chapter 11 case. S.D. Myers, a PCB waste destruction
company based in Ohio, challenged a nine month ban on PCB exports
from Canada to the U.S. S.D. Myers sought a $US 50 million penalty
against Canada. The Canadian government has appealed the ruling
-
In another case,
U.S.-based Metalclad Corp. sued a Mexican state for compensation
after a Mexican environmental zoning law forbid Metalclad to build a
toxic waste disposal site. The company sued, stating the law was an
effective seizure of the company’s property and under NAFTA rules
(similar rules are to be implemented in the FTAA), required the
offending government compensate the company.
NAFTA tribunals meet
secretly
TRADE LAW SHOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH DOMESTIC
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION!
The Rally to Stop
NAFTA for the Americas!!!!!
This rally took
place on Saturday, April 21st, 2001
Noon to 2pm
Peace Arch Park, Blaine, Washington
Co-sponsored by the
Vancouver & District Labour Council, CLC and the Whatcom County
Labor Council, AFL-CIO
The rally was
peaceful and everybody had a good time even though a chopper
circled overhead all day . The Blaine Police, the Washington State
Patrol and the RCMP were very courteous and friendly.
At the end of the rally a bald
eagle hovered overhead.
Photos
of the rally
1864
President Lincoln Quote:
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and
causes
me to tremble for the safety of my country ... corporations have been
enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the
money
power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon
the
prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands
and
the Republic is destroyed."
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 (letter to Col. William
F. Elkins) Ref: "The Lincoln Encyclopedia", Archer H. Shaw
(Macmillan, 1950, NY)
Articles
ILWU
Statement of Policy on the Free Trade Area of the Americas
The
Secret Free-Trade Agenda
Accessing cheap foreign labour is good for companies, but only dreamers
think it benefits workers
back
to WTO page
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