News: New Yorkers can Coca-Cola

May 26th Coca-Cola is losing popularity in New York, after reports on company-sponsored killings in Colombia. A major food cooperative has banned Coke products from its shelves, and a New York City Council member says Coca-Cola bears responsibility for a "campaign of terror leveled at its workers" in Colombia.   The New York-based Park Slope Food Coop has decided to stop selling Coca-Cola products, citing Coke's responsability for violence against workers in Colombia. Park Slope Food Coop is a 10,800-member cooperatively owned store doing over 20 million US dollars sales volume per year. Earlier this month, the store's General Manager Joseph Holtz, wrote to Coca-Cola to inform of the decision to no longer sell products which have the "Coca-Cola Co." logo on the packaging or are advertised as Coca-Cola products, such as Odwalla or Minute Maid products. The decision was made shortly after a Colombian death squad machine gunned the family of a Coca-Cola union leader, killing three and wounding two kids. "It is with regret that I inform you of our decision to stop selling products of The Coca-Cola Co. at our store. I hope that someday we can reverse our decision in response to news of improvements in Colombia," Joseph Holtz wrote. According to Holtz, a report written by New York City Council Member Hiram Monserrate, who recently participated in a fact-finding mission to Colombia, was highly influential in the food cooperative's decision. In January Hiram Monserrate and a delegation of union, student and community activists traveled to Colombia to investigate allegations by Coca-Cola workers that the company is complicit in the human rights abuses the workers have suffered. The delegation met with Coke officials and workers, as well as a variety of governmental, human rights and clergy representatives. The findings of the New York delegation supports the workers' claims that the company bears responsibility for the human rights crisis affecting its workforce. Campaign of terror against workers Upon their return to New York, members of the delegation said there have been a total of 179 major human rights violations of Coca-Cola's workers, including nine murders. Family members of union activists have been abducted and tortured. Union members have been fired for attending union meetings. The company has pressured workers to resign their union membership and contractual rights, and fired workers who refused to do so. "All of us must challenge this company, the symbol of American enterprise throughout the world, to end its complicity in the persecution of Colombian workers." Council Member Monserrate stated. Most troubling to the delegation were the persistent allegations that paramilitary violence against workers was done with the knowledge of and likely under the direction of company managers. The physical access that paramilitaries have had to Coca-Cola bottling plants is impossible without company knowledge. The New York delegation also reported, that Coca-Cola's complicity in the situation is deepened by its repeated pattern of bringing criminal charges against union activists who have spoken out about the company's collusion with paramilitaries. These charges have been dismissed without merit on several occasions. The conclusion of the report is clear: "The conclusion that Coca-Cola bears responsibility for the campaign of terror leveled at its workers is unavoidable. The delegation calls on the company to rectify the situation immediately."

News: Colombians discuss the impact of privatization on workers, services and communities

Read the PSAC news release and see more photos here. May 18th : St John's Telegram In one fell swoop last year, the Colombian government liquidated the country's state-owned telecommunications industry, sending about half of its 10,000 workers to the unemployment line. The remainder became "contractors," losing their permanent status. A similar situation is about to occur with postal services, with 85 per cent of the service now being handled by private corporations. And even the branch of government that provides checks and balances for spending and roots out corruption -- the public comptroller's office -- is slated to wind up in the hands of U.S.-based auditing firms. Union leaders at the forefront of the battle against government privatization are there at their own peril, with assassinations so widespread that Colombia is now regarded as the most dangerous place in the world for organized labour. It hasn't stopped people like Dario Restrepo Carmona, Ana Beatriz Saldarriaga and Dora Lilia Gomez Mendez from speaking out and sharing their struggles with their counterparts in this country. The three Colombian trade unionists and activists are in Newfoundland as part of a tour to share their experiences fighting a repressive government and the aggressive privatization of the public sector. The tour -- entitled Defending Public Services: Canadian and Colombian Workers on the Front Line -- comes on the heels of a month-long public-sector strike in this province by 20,000 workers. "We are here on behalf of all the Colombian people, not only union workers," Gomez Mendez said through a translator during an interview Sunday. "The fight against privatization is shared by many in the country." The activists say the wave of privatization and deregulation is taking a drastic toll on government workers in Colombia, with thousands losing their jobs to lower-paid workers in the private sector, all in the name of cost-cutting and complying with agreements with agencies such as the International Monetary Fund. Gomez Mendez describes what's happening to her homeland as "the opening of the whole country and giving it as a gift to international companies." All this comes at a time of increasing battles between the government and Marxist insurgencies in Colombia, and a drug trade that continues to spiral out of control. Carmona, a laboratory technician and environmental educator, said there is a political and social crisis in the country, one that has deepened in the last decade. "We have over 3,500 union leaders that have been assassinated in the past decade," he said, adding that 85 per cent of Colombians live below the poverty level, with 75 per cent of those living in "pure misery." "We've had an economic (upswing), but it is only circulating among the national elites." Carmona said it became abundantly clear during a recent legal strike by employees at the state-owned oil company that the national government is using its battle with insurgents to repress workers' rights. "The violence is not only expressed through armed conflict, but also through legislative measures," he said. The Colombians are being hosted in this province by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), in conjunction with the Canadian Labour Congress. The Atlantic portion of their tour began May 6 in Halifax and involved an address Monday to students at Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John's. They are leaving the province today. On average, one trade unionist is assassinated every three days in Colombia, a statistic that shocks John Nolan, an executive member with the St. John's local of the CUPW. He said it's amazing that in today's world, union leaders not only have to struggle for their membership, but also for their lives. "We face problems such as collective agreements, but they have problems ... their lives are threatened," he said. Nolan said labour is under threat in both countries, citing recent back-to-work legislation in this province and British Columbia. "These strikes have shown how easy it is for government to violate our labour rights and tear apart our contracts," he said. "It is hard to imagine what our brothers and sisters and brothers have to face in such a repressive environment as Colombia." "It gives you more appreciation for the country you live in," added fellow CUPW member Fred Robbins.

Solidarity with Colombian Workers

May 14th

Colombia is the most dangerous place to be a trade union activist. 2002 was a tragic year for Colombian labour. There were 184 killings of trade unionists, 189 received death threats, 9 disappeared, 27 were abducted, 17 had attempts on their lives and another 19 were persecuted. In addition, 80 trade unionists went into exile and 139 were the victims of arbitrary arrests.

Read more here (link to clc-ctc.ca opens in new window) 

News: Colombian against privatization

May 14th : The Daily News (Kamloops)

A decade ago, Maria Eva Villate would have said privatization efforts by the Colombian government were not that serious.

But in that span of time, the union leader has seen public services dismantled, thousands of people lose their jobs, poverty skyrocket and health care become inaccessible to many. In the last two years, more than 50,000 people have lost their jobs in a country that already has a high unemployment rate.

Villate, who heads the Bogota-based union representing staff at Colombia's Public Ombudsman, was in Kamloops Thursday as part of a tour of B.C. She and four other Colombian labour leaders are travelling throughout Canada to share their experiences in their country.
Their trip was sponsored by the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the Canadian Labour Congress.

Speaking through an interpreter, Villate told The Daily News in an interview that even health care and education have been privatized, leaving workers vulnerable to being laid off and unprotected by their unions.
The only people standing up to privatization efforts are the trade union leaders, and they are being threatened or even killed as a result, she said. Last year, 184 trade unionists in the country were killed by paramilitary groups linked to the government.

Villate said her work in the ombudsman's office means she deals with human rights cases. Through that work, she sees some of the impacts of privatization.

While the Colombian constitution guarantees access to health care, turning the service over to private interests has resulted in workers having monthly fees deducted from their paycheques and user fees charged for every test, X-ray or examination.

Generic medicines are available, but specialized drugs can only be obtained through the private sector and must be paid for by the individual, she said. And some health conditions, such as terminal illnesses like cancer and AIDS, are not covered or if they are, are given poor-quality care.

"It's the dehumanization of public services," she said.

Canadian workers should not wait to see if the same thing occurs in their own country, Villate said. She suggested workers and labour unions join together to defend public services and not allow privatization of essential services such as health care.

Villate said Colombians can't fight privatization by themselves. They need the support of people in other countries, including Canadians, to stand up for them.

"But we believe if we defend our public institutions, we are defending our sovereignty and the assets of our country."

However, she said hopes for change in her homeland are not high because privatization and other associated ills such as free trade are too far advanced. That coupled with armed conflicts and violence in Colombia make for little expectation of improvement.

Fri 14 May 2004
Page: A5
Section: News
Byline: Michele Young
Source: The Daily News

Front Lines Tour: Victoria

May 4th

The PSAC, CUPE and CUPW in conjunction with the CLC have sponsored this Front Lines Tour.  The Front Lines Tour will consist of a delegation of six public sector trade unionists and activists’ from Colombia who will participate in a variety of different events May 6-21, 2004.

One of these events will take place in Victoria on May 10 at the BCGEU building on Douglas St.   The meeting will start about 5:30 pm with a pot-luck and music going from 6:00pm until 7:30.  This will give Marie Eva Villate one of the Columbian activists time to speak and socialize with people before the more structured part of the event. 

Peter Golden a local civil rights lawyer from the Central American Support Committee will introduce the more formal part of the evening. The meeting will be chaired by Pui Paso-torres from CUPE.

Marie Eva will speak on the anti-privatization struggles in Columbia and the connection to us.  She will also link the criminalization of social protest and the persecution of unions.

This will be a very worthwhile event for all PSAC social activists or for those members who just want to learn more about unionism in other parts of the world.

If you have any questions just get in touch with the Southern Vancouver Island District Area Council (250-953-1050).

Nick Humphreys
Shelley Parkhouse
Political Action Committee
SVID Area Council

Information on the Front Lines Tour

March 31st

XO/06/04 March 29, 2004

TO: National Board of Directors

FROM: Nycole Turmel

RE: Defending Public Services: Canadian and Colombian Workers on the Front Lines Tour May 6 – 21, 2004

What is the Front Lines Tour?

The Defending Public Services: Canadian and Colombian Workers on the Front Lines Tour is a joint project sponsored by three public sector unions – the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) in conjunction with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).

The Front Lines Tour will consist of a delegation of six public sector trade unionists and activists from Colombia who will participate in a variety of different events organized by CUPE, CUPW and the PSAC in both the Atlantic and Western regions of Canada, May 6-21, 2004.

Funded in part by the PSAC Social Justice Fund, the Front Line Tour will provide opportunities for Colombian trade unionists and activists to engage in discussions with PSAC, CUPW and CUPE members about their struggles to stop the privatization of public services and the impact of privatization to date on workers, services and communities in Colombia. 

Why a Front Lines Tour?

Our current federal government and many of our provincial and municipal governments are increasingly ready to hand over responsibility for more and more of our public services, arguing that private corporations and Public Private Partnerships (P3s) can provide these services more efficiently and cheaply.  PSAC, CUPE and CUPW members are on the front line every day defending quality public services for Canadians because we know that profit driven services ultimately result in reduced services, user fees, lower wages and benefits for the workers delivering the services, and a lack of accountability for the services to Canadians.

All over the world, private corporations are demanding the right to deliver what are now public services and are being supported in their bid to do so by governments and the policies of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO). In Colombia, trade unions are courageously fighting an extremely repressive government that is aggressively and thoroughly restructuring the Colombian public sector through privatization as recommended by the IMF. And trade unionists in Colombia continue to fight privatization and corruption despite it being the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade union activist – since 1986, close to 4,000 trade unionists have been assassinated.

Objectives of the Tour

The Front Lines Tour will emphasize the critical role played by the Colombian public sector unions in defending public services through political leadership and resistance strategies.  It will deepen our understanding of privatization globally and the role of corporate globalization policies. It will also allow CUPW, CUPE and the PSAC to create a base of interest, commitment and capacity in each of our unions and together in key locals and communities for more strategic work on privatization with an international link.

Atlantic Tour and Delegation

An Atlantic regional committee with representatives from PSAC, CUPE, CUPW and the CLC has been organized. Together with a regional Tour Coordinator, they are beginning to organize meetings and events in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and possibly Prince Edward Island.  Details of the events will soon be posted on the PSAC Atlantic website. For more information about the Atlantic tour, contact Cathy Murphy at 902-443-3541.

More information on each member of the delegation will be provided later as available:

Dora Lilia Gómez; General  Secretary,  SINTRAPOSTAL
SINTRAPOSTAL represents approximately 3000 members, a third of which are women.  85% of the postal service in Colombia is handled by private corporations and the government has indicated that it intends to privatize the remaining services.  Sister Gomez is based in Bogotá,  has been active in her union for many years and is also involved in coalition of women’s organizations working for peace in Colombia.

Dario Restrepo Carmona; CORPENCA
CORPENCA is an NGO that works closely with the union and social movements in Colombia.  Brother Carmona is based in Medellin and will address the privatization of natural resources in Colombia, including water, and the impact of severe budget cuts to publicly run environmental programs.

Ana Beatriz Saldarriaga;  ASDECCOL – The Public Service Association of Public Auditors
Sister Saldarriaga is based in Cali and is a member of ASDECCOL which represents workers responsible for auditing and fiscal monitoring in Colombia at the national, provincial and municipal levels.

Western Tour and Delegation

The Western Tour is being organized by a regional committee with representatives from PSAC, CUPW, CUPE and Co Development Canada. Meetings and events will take place in British Colombia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. For more information about the Western Tour, contact Janet Routledge at 604-430-5631.

More information on each of member of the delegation will be provided later as available.

Maria Eva Villate; Vice-president of the  Union of Public Employees of the Public Ombudsman (ASDEP), affiliated to  FUTEC, Federation of State Workers and Professionals
Affiliated to Public Services International (PSI), this union represents approximately 800 workers in the Ombudsman’s Office which is responsible for receiving and processing human rights violations. Based in Bogotá, Sister Villate will provide examples and an analysis on the link between the fight against privatization and the persecution of trade unionists.

Jorge Alvin Anaya; Treasurer and Finance Secretary for the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT). 
Based in Bogotá, Brother Anaya is an elected officer with the CUT, the largest labour confederation in Colombia. Brother Anaya comes from the teaching sector and was active for many years with the teachers’ union in Cordoba.

Luis Enrique Imbachi; Active member of the Union of Municipal Workers of CALI (SINTRAEMCALI) is in the process of confirming their representative on the tour.
SINTRAEMCALI represents about 3800 members and has taken a strong and militant stand for accessible public services and against privatization and corruption. It has been undeterred by threats and murders against its members and leadership and has often used direct action tactics to confront the government in their bids to privatize public services.
Other Meetings

Following the regional tours, the delegation will meet again in Ottawa to debrief, meet with the elected leadership of the PSAC, CUPE, CUPW and the CLC, and meet with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and selected Members of Parliament.

General information on the Front Line Tour will be posted on the PSAC website and regional specific questions about events or how you can get involved should be directed to Cathy Murphy in the Atlantic or Janet Routledge in the West.  The Front Lines Tour National Coordinator, Louise Casselman, can be reached at 613-560-5494 or at cassell@psac.com.

In Solidarity,

Nycole Turmel,
National President