Harper went on to assure Canadians that a free trade agreement with Colombia would actually help improve worker rights in a country that annually leads the world in murders of trade union leaders. According to Harper, a labour side agreement commits Colombia to respect and enforce core international labour rights on child labour, forced labour, discrimination and freedom of association.  

With all this anxious talk about election promises, trade agreements and workers’ rights, it’s worth reviewing the actual record of the original labour side agreement that was tacked on to NAFTA shortly after president Clinton replaced George Bush senior as the new resident in the White House.

Beth Myers, Executive Director, STITCH

OBAMA’S NEW LOOK: It’s been 15 years since
President-elect Barack Obama has bought a new tux —
and his
inauguration is the perfect time to break that string. Obama, who during the
campaign touted U.S. competitiveness and decried the plight of the American

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

As the holiday season kicks in to high gear, Global Exchange is sponsoring a fun Fair Trade Holiday Caroling action.  You can check out their website to download an toolkit complete with your favorite holiday songs re-written with a fair trade twist.  They are also asking people to sign New Year's Resolutions to buy fair trade gifts for their loved ones this year.