Press Releases

Washington, DC --  Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee), made the following statement about the free trade agreements passed yesterday by the House of Representatives.

“I voted against the trade deals with Colombia, South Korea, and Panama, passed by Congress yesterday, because they do not go far enough to meet the goal of fair and balanced trade. The trade agreement with South Korea continues to incentivize the shipping of American jobs overseas and contains weak rule-of-origin provisions which could ultimately undermine both South Korean and American workers. Additionally, the Panama agreement does little to close gaping tax loopholes or curb ongoing financial secrecy and tax haven activities.  Most disturbingly, the trade deal with Colombia, a country that has continued to fail to effectively address anti-union violence, represents a direct affront to trade unionists everywhere.

“In my district, we are no strangers to violence against those who choose to fight for worker’s rights.  In 1886, in an event now known as the Bayview Massacre, thousands of building-trades workers and Polish laborers gathered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to strike against their employers to demand an eight-hour work day. They were met with gunfire by the National Guard and seven people lost their lives.  The threat in Colombia is much worse.  Since 1985, there have been over 2,500 trade unionist killings in Colombia and the number of killings has only increased since this deal was signed in 2007 by President Bush.

“I believe that a trade deal with Colombia is an insult to basic workers’ rights and human rights and we should not stand idly by while unionists continue to be terrorized for standing up for the rights of workers. We must learn from our own history and reject trade deals in countries where advocating for workers’ rights can be a de facto death sentence.

“It doesn’t make sense to enact trade deals that will put American workers in harm’s way, lead to significant job loss, and increase our country’s deepening trade deficit during a time of economic recovery."