The USW Fight For Worker Rights Around the Globe Tim Waters Director of Rapid Response

1. The USW Fight For Worker Rights Around the Globe Tim Waters Director of Rapid Response United Steelworkers

2. HEALTHCARE FOOD GAS Family Income down $1,000 /year since ‘00 Up 78%since ‘01 Up 23%since “01 Up 161% since “01 WAGES Rising Prices/Shrinking Wages

3. Speaking of Gas Prices. . .

4. Globalization: The Real Story • 1.3 Billion People Live on Less Than $1 (US) Per Day • 3 Billion People (1/2 world’s population) live on less than $2 (US) per day Source: Director General - World Health Organization

5. Globalization: The Real Story Source: The National Labor Committee

6. Globalization: The Real Story Sources: Director General - World Health Organization & the World Bank Of The World’s Population (6.2 Billion): 6% Own 59% of All the Wealth 70% Are Unable to Read or Write 80% Live in Sub-Standard Housing 30% Are White 50% Suffer From Malnutrition 0.5% Have a College Education 1.3 Billion # of People Living on Less Than $1 (US) Per Day 3 Billion # of People living on less than $2 (US) per day

7. In the richest nation in the world: Over 1/2 of all female workers still earn less than $8.70 per hour ($18,000/year). More than 1 in 5 children still live in poverty, the highest among 17 industrial nations. We are still the only industrialized country without some system of universal health care. 37 million Americans living in poverty

8. De-Industrializing the US Estimates show $1 billion in new trade deficit means 10,000 jobs lost. 91% Increase in the Trade Deficit Over 3 Million Lost Jobs

9. “We want a different kind of globalization, one that helps raise standards, one that provides good health care and a clean environment, and one that gives aid to raise standards everywhere, so that we all rise together.”- USW International President Leo W. Gerard

10. USW International Efforts • Why USW believes it is critically important to assist workers across the globe • The economics of globalization – free flow of capital • The Corporate Plan: “The Global Race to the Bottom” and what it means for workers • Working to level the playing field globally

11. Reality About Colombia • Since 1991, over 2,200 murders of union members • In 2008 = approx. one union member killed each week • 97% of cases since 1991 have gone unpunished • The Int’l Trade Union Confederation declared Colombia to be “the most dangerous place in the world to be a union member” • Ties to paramilitary groups throughout government and corporations operating in Colombia

12. Colombia • Key USW Work: • Raising awareness of atrocities committed against union members in Colombia through a years-long legal battle against key companies that are accused of carrying out the murders of union members • Working at both the national and grassroots level to oppose trade deals between Colombia and the U.S. and Canada that are currently being debated by the respective governments.

13. Jordan • Key USW Work: • Working to end human trafficking of workers • Teaching foreign trafficked workers what their rights are under Jordanian law. • Holding the Jordanian government accountable to uphold their laws on worker rights • Standing alongside sweatshop workers in the free trade zones and demanding their rights be respected

14. Honduras • Key USW Work: • Working alongside ALCOA workers as they risk everything to stand up for their rights in forming a union. • Not only demanding and winning the right for workers to form a free and independent trade union at Alcoa, but also forcing Alcoa to make whole the workers that were fired and blacklisted in the organizing drive. • Following ALCOA around the globe to ensure they are held accountable for their actions towards their workers.

15. Liberia • "The men and women in Liberia are among the bravest people I have ever known. Now that they have established a truly democratic union, with the solidarity they have shown, they can begin to reap some of the fruits of their labors.” • USW International Vice President for Human Affairs Fred Redmond • Key USW Work: • Providing ongoing assistance and support to the impoverished Liberian workers in their quest to build a union at the Firestone plantation where they live and work.

16. Finding Most Effective Method ofResearch and Solutions • Critical nature of joint efforts with local workers rights organizations • Must be independent and legitimate • Often dangerous (China - Burma) but often the only way to get accurate information • Work with them through respected and very focused NGO’s such as NLC • Usually much better process than slow-moving huge organizations trying to be effective against global movement of workers and manufacturing facilities

17. Joint USW / NLC Efforts Allows us to research and assist workers in many other countries. Undercover information not readily available from public sources This approach has helped tens of thousands of workers whose stories would never have otherwise been told by bringing strategic pressure through public campaigns against well known entities Examples of countries where we have jointly worked together

18. USW Member Education and Mobilization

19. Rapid Response and Legislative ReliefAnti-Sweatshop Legislation Based off legal precedent: Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 Bans child labor goods from entering U.S. Bans sweatshop goods from entering our country Creates an incentive for businesses abroad to clean up their act Real enforcement through private right of action Major Success for USW Rapid Response

20. Impact for exploited workers around the globe Should we care? Involving our members – 3.5 million If not us, then who?

21. “If I were President, I would negotiate a free trade agreement with almost any country.” Senator John McCainin a Speech at the National Press Club