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

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

Speaking of Gas Prices...

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

Globalization: The Real Story Country Average Wage (Textile Manufacturing) El Salvador $0.75 Nicaragua$0.38 India$0.23 China$0.40 Kenya$0.42 Source: The National Labor Committee

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

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

De-Industrializing the US 91% Increase in the Trade Deficit Over 3 Million Lost Jobs Estimates show $1 billion in new trade deficit means 10,000 jobs lost. Year Trade Deficit Manufacturing Employment 2005-$726 billion14.2 million 2004-$618 billion14.3 million 2003-$495 billion14.5 million 2002-$421 billion15.3 million 2001-$363 billion16.4 million 2000-$378 billion17.3 million

“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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Liberia 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. "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

Finding Most Effective Method of Research 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

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

USW Member Education and Mobilization

Rapid Response and Legislative Relief Anti-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

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

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