US Unionists Alarmed by Colombia Woes

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Houston Chronicle/ Associated Press

Feb. 13, 2008, 5:43PM
US Unionists Alarmed by Colombia Woes

By FRANK BAJAK Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia — A delegation of visiting U.S. union leaders expressed alarm Wednesday at what its members called a steady erosion of labor rights in the world's deadliest country for organized labor.

Citing continued killings and threats against trade unionists in Colombia, Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress have refused to approve a free trade agreement that the Bush administration signed with Colombia in 2006.

"Colombia is the only country in this hemisphere where the rights of workers to negotiate with employers is even lower than in the U.S.," Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America, told reporters.

The delegation, including representatives of the AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers, emerged from a more than 2-hour meeting with President Alvaro Uribe on Wednesday expressing skepticism that organized labor is safer under his administration.

Some 470 unionists have been assassinated since Uribe took office in August 2002, including five so far this year said Dan Kovalik, a United Steelworkers lawyer. About 97 percent of those murders are unsolved, he said.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5539727.html

[jody]

1. More by Truthout at "Cracking Down on Corporate Abuses Abroad "

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/091407LA.shtml

[Peace Patriot]

2. Well, there goes part of Donald Rumsfeld's strategy for destroying democracy in

South America, and re-imposing fascist regimes where the oil is (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina--the Bolivarian allies).

A "free (no-rules-about-killing union leaders) trade" zone in Colombia, from which to launch economic warfare against Venezuela and its leftist neighbors, destabilize their governments, and then...have the U.S. act "swiftly" in support of "friends and allies" in South America (fascist thugs planning coups)--that is, U.S. military intervention in support of the bad guys against democratic governments.

Read about it here:

"The Smart Way to Beat Tyrants Like Chávez," by Donald Rumsfeld, 12/1/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/30/AR2007113001800.html

PNAC II: South America.

Exxon Mobile's on board--with their outrageous attempt to freeze $12 billion in Venezuela's assets--over a dispute about Venezuela's 60% share in its own oil profits. And Rumsfeld's got it all mapped out.

Against all the horror and disgrace of this so-called 'Democratic Congress' (did you know that they have a lower approval rating than Bush?!)--we have this to applaud them for: they stood fast against "free trade" with Colombia! And most Americans probably don't know how important that is. It could be the tipping point against Rumsfeld's plan for Oil War II.