Trade Secret

When Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s Portland office opened at
8 am on Monday, September 24, a couple dozen labor activists were there
to greet his staffers with a present—several large bags of rice
and frozen corn, which they dropped on the floor and used to barricade
the office door.

The presents were intended to protest Blumenauer’s expected yes vote
the following day on a deal that would open up free trade between the
US and Peru, eliminating tariffs on numerous products between the two
countries—including rice and corn. The problem, the protestors
insisted, was that the deal would lead to artificially cheap US crops
being dumped on Peru, forcing millions of Peruvian farmers out of
business.

The group, including members of the Portland Central America
Solidarity Committee (PCASC), and labor leaders like Richard Beetle of
Laborers Local 483, stood in the lobby of Blumenauer’s office, reading
angry letters from Peruvian unions and the US Change to Win union
coalition. After months of trying to change Blumenauer’s mind, the
activists demanded that he give them an explanation. None came, and
staffers informed the protestors that the congressman wouldn’t be
making a comment.

A day later, his office sent an email that was quasi-supportive of
the Peru trade deal, saying that Democrats had successfully worked to
include two major provisions in the deal that would keep it from ending
up like other free trade deals with our neighbors in the Southern
Hemisphere. The agreement forces Peru to abide by international labor
standards and environmental protections. But those standards aren’t
enough for the fair trade crowd, who pointed out that only the
presidents of the countries could file claims if labor standards are
violated.

“I’m not entirely comfortable leaving it up to George W. Bush to
file a labor claim in Peru,” Daniel Denvir, a member of PCASC, told
reporters at the event.

Even though the trade deal is the product of the Bush
administration, the protestors picked their
target—Blumenauer—in part because his yes vote seems so
uncharacteristic.

“Why would a liberal Democrat from one of the most liberal districts
in the country support a deal that’s bad for workers?” asked Chris
Ferlazzo, an organizer with Jobs with Justice, between protest chants.
“Here in Portland, we don’t have anyone who consistently votes against
Bush’s trade agenda.”

Ultimately, the event came to naught. Four members of PCASC were
arrested after protestors blocked the office door, and Blumenauer still
voted for the trade deal, which passed through the House Ways and Means
Committee Tuesday morning, September 25.