Unions In Three Nations To File NAFTA Labor Violations Charges Against U.S

[Omaha Steve]

http://208.185.252.177/laborradio/node/4417

Unions In Three Nations To File NAFTA Labor Violations Charges Against U.S.

By Doug Cunningham

On Tuesday more than two dozen U.S., Canadian and Mexican labor organizations will file a charge against the U.S. and North Carolina under labor provisions of NAFTA. The accusation is that 650,000 public employees in North Carolina are being denied the right to collectively bargain. Dan Kovalik, Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers.

: “The allegation is that the failure to allow them their rights to freely organize violates the U.S.’s obligations under NAFTA. States like North Carolina are startin’ to look more and more like Third World countries in terms of people’s ability to organize and in terms of their working conditions.”

NAFTA requires nations to provide high labor standards and collective bargaining is listed as a core principle. The United Nations’ International Labor Organization also requires collective bargaining rights. Kovalik says the right to unionize is being eroded and blocked in workers in the U.S. are increasingly seeing their rights to unionize eroded and blocked. He says charging the U.S. with violating NAFAT labor agreements can help expose
the loss of these rights.

: “The hope in bringing it is to shed light on the problem – a growing problem in this country of the ability of workers to legally organize. We’re trying to stem the tide of a growing erosion of the right of workers in this country to unionize.”


Extended story in audio form: http://208.185.252.177/laborradio/files/lo/winsheadlines.ram

[Peace Patriot]

1. YE- E- E- E- E- E- E- E- E- ES!!!!!!

Thanks for the info!

[meganmonkey]

2. Right on!

Solidarity with these workers!!!

:patriot:

[struggle4progress]

3. Consider cross-posting this in the NC forum

[Omaha Steve]

9. I know I'm going to kick myself....

What is the NC forum?

[struggle4progress]

10. Link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=170

[OhioChick]

4. About damn time......... n/t

[nealmhughes]

5. Ha! Ha! Ha! NAFTA actually good for something other than outsourcing:

treaties ratified by the Senate and signed by the president are the supreme law of the land, superceeding any state law! Treaties are up there with USSC decisions and the Constitution itself, per the Constitution!

[ninkasi]

6. This is great

Corporations have been using the global economy as an excuse to cut wages and benefits. I think the people who do the work should band together, because we're stronger as a result. We had a shirt several years ago when the CWA was bargaining for a new contract. It said "United we stand, divided we beg." It's still true.

[Robbien]

7. About time. Come on when China is complaining about the US

interfering in China's unions efforts, you just know that what we are doing must be downright illegal.

[Vidar]

8. This is way overdue.

[Little Star]

11. Best news I've heard all day. Now,

if Dems can find a way to jump on the band wagon..............

[sarcasmo]

12. Kick to the top.

[Omaha Steve]

13. Anyone here from the show me state?

Missouri's Governor voided all the state employees contracts a couple of years ago, right after the 2004 elections. Is there a plan to file on this in your state too?

[Unvanguard]

14. Good. We need more of this sort of thing.

International labor solidarity against exploitation - a precondition for success in the age of capitalist globalization.