AFL-CIO to campaign hard against Colombia trade deal

The AFL-CIO will launch a campaign this week to try and stop the pending trade deal between the United States and Colombia. 

The nation's largest labor federation has planned several events in hopes of convincing Congress to reject the agreement. Trade unionists from Colombia will travel to Washington to discuss the country’s poor record of violence against labor organizers with members of Congress. 

On Tuesday, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) will release a report on Telefonica, a major phone provider in Colombia, which the union says will show problems with the trade deal. On Wednesday, the AFL-CIO will unveil a print ad campaign blasting the trade agreement. 

And on Thursday, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, CWA President Larry Cohen and several lawmakers will host a press conference to talk about violence against Colombia trade unionists.  

The AFL-CIO campaign comes as the Obama administration continues to push for passage of the trade deal. On Monday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that Colombia had met another set of milestones outlined under the labor action plan the country agreed to with the administration.

That labor action plan is designed to improve the country's labor rights record as a precursor to approval of the pact by Congress. 

The AFL-CIO, however, has said that the plan is not enough and that Colombia should not be rewarded with a trade deal.