HI AfDers and friends,
Below is copy of monthly e-newsletter from Oregon Fair Trade Campaign.
Wanted to call your attention to two things - 1. The Future of Trade Forum next tuesday. AfD and EJAG (Economic Justice Action Group of the First Unitarian Church) will show for the first time they jonitly produced brochure on the Security and Prosperity Partnership; and 2. Sweatfree Portland, the group which AfD is a part of and has worked for several years to stop the City of Portland from purchasing goods made in sweatshops, will bring an enacting ordniance before the city council on Oct 15. See details below.
David e. Delk, Alliance for Democracy - Portland Chapter 503 232 5495 www.afd-pdx.org
ORFTC Fair Trade Monitor
Monthly fair trade update from the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign
October 2008
In This Issue:
1. TUESDAY: The Future of Trade
2. Candidate Positions on Trade
3. Nearly 1-in-5 Oregon Jobs Vulnerable to Offshoring
4. Sweatfree Portland Close to Victory
In the News:
The Downsides of Our Trade Policies
Protestors Picket Smith Fundraiser; Target Trade, Economy
Dems Call Gordon Smith "The Real Terminator"
Trucked-Up Politics
1. OCT. 14: The Future of Trade
Brandon Maupin
Merlin, OR Brandon worked at Timber Products in Grants Pass before losing his job due to increased imports. He describes the ripple effect that similar closures have had in southern Oregon.
"Since we're not making anything, and so many people have lost jobs, this is also affected the rest of the economy in this area. The father of a good friend of mine, he works at an autho dealership. He's worked there for about 25 to 30 years, and this dealership has had to cut back on all of its departments and cut it down to bare bones since no one is spending any money. He is actually looking at losing his job after worker 25, 30 years there."
Support our work by sending your financial contribution to:
ORFTC
310 SW 4th Ave #436
Portland, OR 97204
www.oregonfairtrade.org
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Tuesday, October 14 * 7:00 pm
First Unitarian Church * Elliot Chapel
1011 SW 12th Ave * Portland, OR
The economy is sinking fast. Where we go from here is up to us. Join us for a public forum on "The Future of Trade."
In the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, re-writing the nation's trade policy is a necessity if we're to turn around the economy for working people. Trade policy affects everything from jobs and wages, to immigration, to the value of the U.S. dollar -- and the opportunity for progressive change is now stronger than it has been at any point over the past fifteen years.
This free and open public forum will feature a panel discussion, testimonials from affected workers and a response from political candidates. Panelists include:
* Tom Chamberlain, President, Oregon AFL-CIO. On job loss and wage stagnation due to existing trade agreements.
* Erica Maharg, Columbia Group Chair, Oregon Sierra Club. On the connections between "free trade" and increased global warming.
* Ken Allen, Executive Director, Oregon AFSCME. On the potential for increased offshoring of service sector jobs.
* Arthur Stamoulis, Director, Oregon Fair Trade Campaign. On the TRADE Act and opportunities for change.
HEAR JEFF MERKLEY'S VIEWS ON TRADE: U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley will also respond to the panelists and share his views on trade. Gordon Smith declined an invitation to participate.
This event is cosponsored by the First Unitarian Church's Economic Justice Action Group and the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign. For more info, call 503-736-9777 or visit www.oregonfairtrade.org.
2. Candidate Positions on Trade
The Oregon Fair Trade Campaign does not endorse candidates for public office. The following fact sheets are intended to educate the public about candidates' positions on trade issues. They are not mean to advocate for or against any particular candidate.
Senate Candidates' Views on International Trade Policy
Presidential Candidates' Views on International Trade Policy
Voting Records of Oregon Senators and Representatives
ORFTC has adopted a position urging our members to vote NO on Ballot Measure 64. For more info, visit:
3. Study: Nearly 1-in-5 Oregon Jobs Vulnerable to Offshoring
Nearly one-and-five Oregon jobs are vulnerable to being sent overseas, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) released recently by the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign. At least 279,000 Oregon jobs -- or 18.3% of the state's total employment -- are considered "offshorable." Labor advocates say that the findings highlight the need for new trade policies that limit offshoring, such as passage of the TRADE Act.
On a national basis, the EPI data show that workers whose jobs are most vulnerable to offshoring typically have a four-year college degree and work in positions paying an average of $8,000 more per year (or 14% more) than non-offshorable jobs. White-collar, salaried positions were found to be particularly offshorable, including computer programmers, actuaries, graphic designers, research scientists, bioengineers, financial analysts and many more.
"Oregon has watched its manufacturing base steadily move abroad for a number of years. Only recently have we seen this much wider range of occupations also move overseas," said Madelyn Elder, president of Communications Workers of America Local 7901. "Oregonians need to come together and demand solutions from our political candidates before the only employment options left in this state are at Wal-Mart."
4. Sweatfree Portland Campaign Close to Victory
Wednesday, October 15 * 9:30 am
Portland City Hall
1221 SW 4th Ave * Portland, OR
On August 29, 2007, many of you packed the Portland City Council Chambers for a dramatic hearing, in which the City passed a resolution to help fund sweatfree enforcement and formed a policy committee to develop the rules designed to make Portland's city purchasing sweatshop-free. Since then, the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign has been working with other stakeholders to write a sweatfree policy that will fight worker abuses such as twenty-hour shifts and seven days a week of work, toxic fumes and other dangerous conditions, verbal harassment and public humiliation, and poverty wages.
On October 15, the much-awaited Portland Sweatfree Policy will go before City Council for a vote! Come show your support for this major milestone in labor-friendly public procurement.
For more information contact the Portland Sweatfree Campaign at 503-236-7916 or sweatfreepdx@gmail.com.
In the News:
The Downsides of Our Trade Policies
Protestors Picket Smith Fundraiser; Target Trade, Economy
Dems Call Gordon Smith "The Real Terminator"
Trucked-Up Politics
http://wweek.com/editorial/3447/11602/
To sign-up for ORFTC's monthly update, please email orftc@citizenstrade.org with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
This is produced by:
Oregon Fair Trade Campaign
310 SW 4th Ave #436
Portland, OR 97204
orftc@citizenstrade.org
http://www.oregonfairtrade.org
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