[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Letter to USTR by International Fed



Subject: Letter to USTR by International Federation of Chemical,  Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions


Kenneth S. Zinn
International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers'
Unions

The following press release was issued August 7 by the International
Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM),
815 - 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.

For further information contact: Kenneth S. Zinn
at (202)842-7892.

            Labor Leaders Urge Clinton Administration
        to "Vigorously Defend" Massachusetts Law on Burma

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 7-- The presidents of eleven unions, representing
more than 3.8 million workers, urged the Clinton Administration today to
"vigorously defend" a Massachusetts state law restricting purchases from
companies doing business in Burma.  The appeal came in a letter sent to
U.S. Trade
Representative Charlene Barshefsky who is in negotiations with the European
Union and Japan over the Massachusetts law.

The labor leaders, most of whose unions are affiliated to the
International Federation of  Chemical  Energy, Mine and General Workers'
Unions (ICEM), urged Barshefsky "to remain resolute in protecting the right
of state, county and municipal governments in the United States to make
such purchasing decisions."

"Multinational corporations doing business in Burma have provided
support and sustenance to the dictatorship," the union leaders wrote, "and
because of this, Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese
opposition National League for Democracy have asked that foreign companies
disinvest from Burma.

"Particularly complicit have been several multinational oil
companies, including the U.S.-based Unocal, ARCO and Texaco and the
French-based Total," they wrote.  "These companies continue to  prop up the
military  regime by providing it with large amounts of desperately needed
hard currency."

Massachusetts and eleven local governments have passed laws
restricting government  contracts with  multinational corporations doing
business in Burma.  The City of New York  became  the latest locality to
pass such a law on May 30, 1997.  The European Union and Japan  have
challenged these laws, saying they violate World Trade Organization
restrictions.

"This dispute between the U.S. and the European Union and Japan is
important for two main reasons," said Kenneth S. Zinn, ICEM North American
Regional Coordinator.  "The complaint by the E.U. and the Japanese
government threatens to weaken the growing international pressure on the
illegal military dictatorship in Burma, and it directly challenges the
right of American citizens to decide where and how they choose to spend
their tax dollars."

"If the people of Massachusetts don't want their tax dollars spent on
buying products from companies complicit in torture and repression, that's
their right," said Zinn.

The following union presidents signed the letter: Lawrence Bankowski,
President of the  American Flint Glass Workers Union; Douglas H. Dority,
President of the United Food and  Commercial Workers International  Union;
Edward L. Fire, President of the International Union of Electronic,
Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers; Frank Hanley,
President of the International Union of Operating Engineers; Charles W.
Jones, President of the International  Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron
Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers; Jay Mazur, President of
the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees; Cecil E.
Roberts,  President of the United Mine Workers of America; Andrew L. Stern,
President of the Service Employees International Union; Robert E. Wages,
President of the Oil, Chemical and
Atomic Workers International Union; Donald Wightman, President of the
Utility Workers Union of America; and Boyd D. Young, President of the
United Paperworkers International Union.

The ICEM unites 20 million workers in 113 countries in the energy,
chemicals, mining and quarrying, paper and pulp; rubber, cement, ceramics,
glass, and environmental services industries.

====================================