<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode" /><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street" /><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="address" /><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State" /><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City" /><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region" /><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place" /><!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle22
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle24
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle26
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle27
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="Section1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial">ART – Attached USW react statement is for your use on today’s Colombia FTA announcement. If not seen, I’ve included the AFL-CIO declaration as an attachment
message.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" color="#993300" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#993300;font-weight:bold">+++++++++++++++++<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">gary/usw<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">202-256-8125 (CELL)</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color:navy"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">></span></font><u><font size="2" color="blue" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:blue">ghubbard@usw.org</span></font></u><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
<hr size="2" width="100%" align="center" tabindex="-1">
</span></font></div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><font size="5" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-weight:bold">USW NEWS<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt">For Immediate Release: April 15, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt">Contact: Gary Hubbard, 202-256-8125,
<a href="mailto:ghubbard@usw.org">ghubbard@usw.org</a>; <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="5" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-weight:bold">USW Decries
<st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> Pronouncement of <st1:place w:st="on">
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s Compliance</span></font></b><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><font size="5" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-weight:bold">With Labor Action Plan; Vows Defense of Colombian Unionists</span></font></b><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><i><font size="5" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic">AFL-CIO Declaration Issued to Re-examine
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place> FTA on worker rights</span></font></i></b><i><font size="5"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-style:italic"><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pittsburgh</st1:place></st1:City> (Apr. 15) -- The USW strongly disagrees with today’s U.S. pronouncement that Colombia has complied with the Labor Action Plan -- a move which will allow for implementation of the Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) starting next month. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The USW, the AFL-CIO and the
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region> labor movement firmly believes the
<st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> pronouncement is premature as unionists continue to be killed in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place> -- at a rate of 30 slain in 2011, and six already this year. According to records made public, impunity for prosecution of such killings remains high at around 95 percent.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Leo W. Gerard, USW International President, said, “In light of such violence and impunity,
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place> continues its shameful distinction as the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist." He confirmed support of a joint declaration issued today by AFL-CIO
President Richard Trumka with leaders of the national Colombian labor unions CUT and the CTC that was critical of the FTA implementation.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">He adds: “It remains the position of the USW that the withholding of FTA implementation until the rates of anti-union violence
and impunity are dramatically reduced is the surest form of leverage the <st1:country-region w:st="on">
U.S.</st1:country-region> has to safeguard the lives and well-being of unionists in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">“We implore the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> government to refrain from giving up this leverage and to indefinitely postpone the implementation of the FTA. This is the only way to ensure
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region>'s future good conduct, and to properly honor the almost 3,000 unionists killed in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place> since 1986.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">In a statement published earlier this week on the slaying of a
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Florida</st1:State></st1:place> teenager named Trayvon Martin, Gerard said, “Americans don’t countenance murder, particularly when racially or politically motivated. Americans are justice-seeking and fair-play believing.
And that is why we as a country cannot certify that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place> has fulfilled its obligations under the Labor Action Plan.” Certification under the plan was seen as a necessary
step before the FTA was implemented. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;text-autospace:none"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> He declared, “The USW is committed to working in solidarity with Colombian unions to help bring about this improvement, to
defend the very lives of Colombian workers and to fight the implementation of the FTA until they are safe from threats, violence and murder."
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;
text-autospace:none">
<font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" color="#993300" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#993300;font-weight:bold">+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span></font><font color="#993300"><span style="color:#993300"><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Gary Hubbard</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" color="#993300" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#993300;font-weight:bold">UNITED STEELWORKERS (USW)</span></font><font color="#993300"><span style="color:#993300"><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Public Affairs Director</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">1150 --
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">17th Street, NW</st1:address></st1:Street>;
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on">Suite</st1:Street> 300</st1:address></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Washington</span></font></st1:City><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">,
<st1:State w:st="on">DC</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">20036</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">202-778-4384 (office)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">202-256-8125 (cell)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">><u><font color="blue"><span style="color:blue">ghubbard@usw.org</span></font></u></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>