[Seattle-editorial] RE: FEATURE PROPOSAL: Race to the Bottom

[Gentry Lange]

Approve.

Gentry

-----Original Message-----
From: jonathan lawson [mailto:jonathan at indymedia.org]
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 10:35 PM
To: seattle-editorial at indymedia.org
Cc: g at art13.com
Subject: FEATURE PROPOSAL: Race to the Bottom


use image: http://images.indymedia.org/imc/seattle/ftaa.jpg

subtitle: FTAA: NAFTA ON STEROIDS
title: Race to the Bottom!

For the  past decade, American wage earners have been thrust into a 'race
to the bottom' by trade policies that export jobs and factories to wherever
in the world labor costs, worker rights and environmental standards are
lowest. It is estimated that since passage of the North American Free Trade
Agreement in 1994, Washington State has lost over 40,000 jobs. As good jobs
are eliminated, wages drop for those jobs that remain, benefits are cut,
funding for schools and social services are slashed. In this race to the
bottom, environmental regulations and food safety standards are also
threatened in order to facilitate 'free' trade at any social cost.

<p>On Nov. 22, as the <a href="http://www.ftaaimc.org">FTAA Ministerial</a>
continues in Miami, the Seattle-based <a
href="http://www.seattleglobaljustice.org">Community Alliance for Global
Justice</a> will sponsor a <a
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=36212"><b>Race to
the Bottom</b></a>. The 5K race will be a symbolic trip through Seattle to
highlight local issues connected to unbalanced trade policy. Runners (and
walkers) are encouraged to dress in either a corporate criminal or a fair
trade champion costume. The run/march begins at 11:30am in Pioneer Square,
and ends with a rally at the Labor Temple in Belltown.

<p><a href="http://www.seattleglobaljustice.org/racetobottom.htm">Race to
the Bottom</a> | <a href="http://www.ftaaimc.org">FTAA IMC</a> | <a
href="http://www.stopftaa.org">Stop the FTAA</a>