Join the WFTC, member organization the Community Alliance for Global Justice (CAGJ) and many others in the WA State Food Justice Movement, for 2 fabulous events on Thursday, January 19th.

Thank you to all our wonderful friends and supporters who attended our 2nd Annual WFTC Celebration.

Everyone was so dedicated and passionate, and we emerge very inspired and energized!

We feel ready to tackle next year’s work to make both the global trading system – and our own economy – just, sustainable, and oriented to supporting people’s best aspirations for a good life.

Onwards!

Host: Washington Fair Trade Coalition
When: Wednesday, November 30th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: UFCW Local 21, 5030 First Avenue South, Suite 200 Seattle, WA

Join your friends at the WFTC to honor the 12th Anniversary of the WTO Shut-down in Seattle. Reflect on our important year of fair trade activism and get energized for the year to come! Food, drink and fun provided. For more information and to RSVP (not required) contact: Kristen@washingtonfairtrade.org

Co-sponsors and Friends of the WFTC Celebration: Allan Paulson, Bob Gorman, Colette Cosner, Elaine Nonneman, Lynne Dodson, Marina Skumanich, Robby Stern & Dina Burnstein, Stan Sorscher, Tom Buchanan, Mark McDermott, Kristen Beifus and YOU!

With generous support for libation from WFTC member Central Co-Op!!

As WA State’s Congressional Delegation (Republicans and Democrats) gather to celebrate voting on free trade policies that support corporations and off-shore more jobs, the 99% intervene!

Seattle, WA: The Washington Council on International Trade and the WA State Congressional Delegation gathered with big business in WA State to map out a future of trade policy that continues to benefit the 1%. Panelists include CEOs of corporations that help multinationals such as Coca Cola, Barclays Bank, Delta Airlines, AT&T and FedEx Canada continue to use US trade laws to maximize profits while driving down labor standards and further de-regulate financial institutions. The final panel showed the collusion of our elected leaders in this process with Rep. McDermott, Smith, Larsen and Reichert speaking on the future of free trade in WA State.

Fair trade activists disrupted this panel, taking the microphone shaming Reps. McDermott, Smith and Larsen for their votes in favor of Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia. Before security carried out the disrupters, they were able to call out our elected leaders for ignoring the loss of jobs and environmental degradation caused by their votes on behalf of the 1%.

In the midst of any campaign there are individuals and organization that take heroic actions that inspire all of us and remind us that we have more power than we imagine.

In the last week this distinction goes to Larry Brown, Legislative and Political Action Director of IAM-751 and all of the Machinists at Boeing. After the vote last week passing all 3 FTAs,  they uninvited Rep. Inslee and Sen. Cantwell to speak at the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League dinner which was held last Saturday, October 15th.

‘How could we introduce them and have them speak at our event when just a few days before they had voted for these trade agreements. They have to know that there is a price to pay when they vote against working families,’ Larry Brown, Legislative and Political Action Director.

It is clear our elected leaders are hearing us…now maybe they are starting to feel us too! We need to take inspiration from IAM 751 and take action to show our displeasure and make it uncomfortable for our elected leaders to consistently vote against the needs of their constituents.

Thank-you IAM 751!

Despite hearing from tens of thousands of people throughout WA State, our entire Congressional delegation (dems and reps alike), with the noted exception of Rep. McDermott’s one lone vote against Colombia, voted ‘yes’ on all three FTAs with South Korea, Colombia and Panama.

South Korea passed the House 278-151 and the Senate 83-15, Colombia 262-167 and 66-33 and Panama 300-129 and 77-22.

In the House,  Democrats Smith, Inslee, Larsen and Dicks were 4 of only 31 Democrats who supported Colombia. They stood against their own party to support an agreement that by all accounts does little public good for WA and enormous destruction for communities in Colombia and for labor organizers putting their lives on the line for basic rights to organize.

The Fair Trade flag is at half-mast since these votes took place a week ago (Oct. 12th) and were signed into law yesterday by President Obama without fanfare. The Wall Street Journal even commented that perhaps he only wanted a few CEOs to know. Incredible that 3 years after promises to renegotiate NAFTA this is where the US is on trade!

However we are undaunted and want to deeply appreciate everyone who called, and called and called again! and wrote, rallied, bannered and met with our elected leaders to explain why with a historical legacy of failed trade deals, an economic down-turn and public opinion in favor of fair trade-they should vote NO! There is no doubt that they heard you! Instead our leaders choose not to listen to us and that is why people are in the street because they do not feel represented. It is our elected leaders’ job to represent civil society and just not corporate interest. In these votes they have ‘jobs on their hands’ and worse.

Our illustrious Senators and Representatives here in WA state chose last week to ignore the interests and voices of the vast majority of their constituents, and vote in favor of 3 more job-killing, community-crushing, investor-coddling FTAs (with Korea, Colombia, and Panama)!

They clearly have decided that the 1% is their base, not the rest of us!

Here is what you can do in the next 5 days to Stop these FTAs:
1) Call your elected official and ask to speak to him/her directly. Speak for your organization-and speak for yourself. Make it uncomfortable and make it hard for them to vote Yes-especially with elections up and coming.

2) Send that LTE that you have been meaning to send, post on your website, facebook, twitter that this is happening and people can continue to use the AFL-CIO’s 1.800.718.1008 until the vote

3) Support Occupy Seattle and when you do-connect corporate greed to US trade policy. Corporations are writing our trade policies and our leaders are rubber-stamping them-this is the heart of the struggle.