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End the race to the bottom that exploits
Mexican and U.S. workers!
Stop bargaining away hard fought gains!
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ON SEPTEMBER 16 ERNESTO LIZCANO, a TRW worker from a maquiladora in Reynosa (across the border from McAllen, Texas) will attempt to meet with TRW leaders at TRW headquarters in Livonia, Michigan. The Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras is coordinating a day of action and phone-in to support these workers.
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September 16 • National Call-In
Let’s add a brick to the road toward international solidarity.
When illegal working conditions are permitted in U.S.-owned factories in Mexico, it gives companies leverage to withdraw benefits and lower salaries of workers in the United States. Since labor laws are not effectively enforced in Mexico, we are stepping in to demand justice. We have to pressure the companies to follow Mexican labor law. We have to tell our leaders to put some teeth into protections for workers and the environment, by renegotiating NAFTA. William Jungles, CJM Board Member- Latin American Solidarity Committee of the Western New York Peace Center, , Buffalo, NY
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Call TRW headquarters on September 16 at 10:00 a.m. (EST)
CALL AND WRITE: TRW Executives on September 16th at 10:00 a.m. and throughout the day supporting workers’ demands:
John C. Plant, President and Chief Executive Officer TRW Automotive Phone: 734.855.2600. Email: John.plant@trw.com
Neil Marchuk Exec. VP for Human Resources, Phone: 734.855.3871 (office) 734.748.0676 (cell) 734.855.2473 (fax) Email: Neil.Marchuk@trw.com
John Wilkerson, Senior Communication Manager Phone: 734 855 3864. Email: John.Wilkerson@trw.com
CALL OR WRITE PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Phone: 202-456-111, 202-456-1414, Fax 202 456-2461
TALKING POINTS:
- Renegotiate NAFTA to level the playing field and give workers real protections from governments that allow wage and workplace safety exploitation of workers and destruction of the environment.
- Demand that TRW recognize workers’ rights: to safe jobs; to freedom of association; to collective bargaining; to severance payments and seniority as guaranteed by Mexican Labor Law.
- Demand TRW reinstate workers who were fired unjustifiably and pay their severance and back pay in accordance with Mexican Law. full details at http://coalitionforjustice.net
SAMPLE LETTER:
Barack Obama
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
info@messages.whitehouse.gov
Dear Mr. President,
The NAFTA trade agreement has failed to meet the expectations of economic growth and development. Instead, NAFTA has increased unemployment, economic instability and insecurity, poverty and environmental injustice in the three countries of North America.
Multinational corporations such as TRW, which is a US corporation based in Livonia, Michigan, have profited from exploiting cheap labor, thanks to free trade agreements. After many years of phenomenal profits, corporations are now laying off workers. In the case of TRW in Mexico, they are laying off workers without the severance payments that the workers are owed by law.
Trade agreements are about much more than trade. Trade agreements must have mechanisms to address and resolve the social consequences they create.
We believe that, despite the economic crisis, now is the right time to renegotiate NAFTA and address immigration reforms.
The evidence of NAFTA's failure is everywhere - people are suffering the real consequences of unregulated and irresponsible free trade policies.
We call on you to investigate and regulate multinational corporations such as TRW, which is violating workers' rights and operating with impunity in Mexico.
We also urge you to uphold your commitment to address immigration reform and renegotiate the NAFTA trade agreement immediately.
Respectfully,
[Your Signature] |
