Dan Lawson (far right), vice president of Steel Workers Local 40261 out of Bucksport, and Jimmy Cook, Political Red Team leader with Maine State Employees Association in Augusta, approach Jay Damon (far left), a University of Maine student and intern working in Sen. Susan Collins' Bangor office. The Maine Fair Trade Campaign, Maine State Employees Association, SEIU 1989 and Maine AFL-CIO held a press conference in Bangor Friday morning and delivered 24,000 pink slips to Collins' office. According to the press release, the pink slips 'represent the 24,000 jobs lost in Maine since the passage of the failed North American Free Trade Agreement.' Buy Photo
About 30 protesters delivered 24,000 pink slips to Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ office in Bangor on Friday and asked her to oppose the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement awaiting congressional approval.
The Maine Fair Trade Campaign, a coalition of 51 organizations and unions across the state, said the pink slips — pieces of paper given to workers as layoff notices — symbolically represented the 24,000 manufacturing jobs lost in Maine since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The protesters said another free trade agreement would put at risk thousands of other jobs in Maine.
“The problem with free trade is that it is sending our jobs overseas,” Daphne Loring, a Maine Fair Trade Campaign coordinator, said. “People are suffering; the middle class is squeezed. The last thing we should be considering is the extension of the NAFTA to Colombia.”
Collins was the only Maine member of Congress who did not take a position on the issue, either supporting or opposing it, Loring said in a telephone interview.
Jen Burita, Collins’ spokeswoman, said the senator had opposed some trade agreements, such as the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and supported others, such as the Chilean Free Trade Agreement.
“In deciding whether or not to support trade agreements, Senator Collins always evaluates the impact on Maine workers and examines the labor and environmental provisions in each pact,” Burita said.
If approved, the agreement would eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers between the U.S. and Colombia.
Both governments signed the Trade Promotion Agreement in November 2006. The legislative branches of both countries need to approve it before it can be enacted.
The Colombian Congress approved it last year. President Bush sent it to the U.S. Congress last April, but the bill did not get out of committee in either the House or the Senate. As a result the bill will likely die, as Congress is on the verge of adjourning.
On 9/27/08 at 5:23 AM,
Mainer50 wrote:
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“In deciding whether or not to support trade agreements, Senator Collins always evaluates the impact on Maine workers and examines the labor and environmental provisions in each pact,” Burita said.
Famous last words, what is there to evaluate in this latest demonstration of pink slips? Isn't it obviouse that Maine is dying a slow death because the senator is deciding to make waffles or not? When the vote doesn't count, then she makes the "right" vote, but when it does, then she "falls" to the other side. What is really being said here? As Bush has said, "your either with us or against us". Which is it Senator Collins? By the way, what happened to your promise that you would step down, because you WERE for term limits?
On 9/27/08 at 7:42 AM,
Bcktndr wrote:
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Susan Collins is simply the least responsible of our delegation in Washington DC. She is apparently incapable of making a decision on this Columbian Free Trade Agreement, she is 100% in George W. Bush's pocket, she will not answer correspondence from her constituents and she has done nothing but shoot her mouth off about how mush she cares about the plight of Maine workers when, quite frankly, she is part of the reason that Maine workers are becoming more scarce. Personally I am very tired of her campaign advertising that makes her out to be everything from a hockey player's savior to the only hope for a diabetes cure. Give me a break Susan. You need to come home and retire so that we can put someone in Washington DC who actually has the interests of Maine people at heart.
On 9/27/08 at 8:24 AM,
judyrohweder wrote:
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Free trade with Colombia? We need a different kind of bill in congress - specifically, an invoice for detoxification of all the U.S. citizens who have been addicted by the Colombian drug trade.
On 9/27/08 at 8:30 AM,
FrankfromBrewer wrote:
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As busy as she is with the home health care hero bit and her bipartisan hockey programs and curing diseases that already have people assigned that are obviously incompetitent, or she thinks so anyway, I don't know when she will have time to worry about foreigh trade agreements that could impact Maine employees and businesses.
On 9/27/08 at 8:43 AM,
PhillipGoddard wrote:
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The national campaign by trade unions to scuttle the Columbia free Trade Agreement is irrational and counter productive to the creation of manufacturing jobs in America. The Columbian FTA will open up the Columbian market for U.S. manufactured industrial goods and services from the U.S. It will also strengthen the development of democracy in a region where democratic institutions are under severe threat. The Columbian FTA is a win win solution for workers in the United States and Columbia and the Unions must have an ideological or ossified mind set on the issue.
On 9/27/08 at 10:17 AM,
Knightscross wrote:
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Why even bother. Collins could care less if the whole state is unemployed. She is Bush's lap dog, nothing more. Collins lied about her 2 terms and cares less for Mainers. Just fools keep sending her back to the Martini parties in Washington DC.
On 9/27/08 at 11:04 AM,
mariahstorm wrote:
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this is a bogus complaint in my opinion... the so called jobs' that are outsourcing are the laborous jobs people no longer want to work. especially for the low wages they receive for the long hours they work. PEOPLE, there are educational/vocational programs out there to transform yourselves with the transformation of america into the AQUARIAN AGE..the age of space and technology!!! is your UNION working hand and hand with big government...that is far more important than a job transition.........those pink slips are due to BIG BUSINESS GREED ON WALLSTREET...what you don't want is More Power to the treasury and NO BAILOUT for the rapers on wallstreet. then the country will correct itself. this is another BIG SCARE from cheney administration....
On 9/27/08 at 11:19 AM,
MikeBookout wrote:
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If the Republican party line is to support this trade agreemant with Columbia then Collins will fall in line with the party as she does all the time. Thats why you people in Maine need to dump this lady and vote for the Democrat running for the Senate. Then Main would have a Representative in the Senate who would stop being a roadblock to legislation important to your state.
On 9/27/08 at 11:48 AM,
Govt2Big wrote:
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Maine residents should be aware of another interesting twist with this story, as it also exemplifies the inappropriate use of our tax dollars. Since one of the individuals pictured in this 'pink slip' delivery is a state employee for Maine, who has received two (2) different high paying positions within the DECD (Department of Economic and Community Development) by a current/past relative who happens-to-be the DECD Commissioner (John Richardson), why does it appear that our Maine tax dollars are being used for these types of political activities? Why are tax dollars even being used to slam Senator Collins? This just isn't right.
To add further salt to this taxpayer wound, the website for this pro-democrat state employees union (http://www.mseaseiu.org) even has a 'Help Wanted' ad listed on the bottom of their homepage. They are obviously trying to get state workers to go 'on leave' to push the democrat's agenda. While the union might be paying their "wages" for this work, we taxpayers are still on-the-hook for their other expenses (e.g., insurance).
It's time for all of the inappropriate governmental activities like this to be stopped! It's time for the Baldacci Administration to be held accountable for this inappropriate use of our tax dollars. Needless to say, in light of the additional family relationship between Commissioner Richardson and the pictured delivery person (Jimmy Cook), taxpayers deserve some answers on why this is happening. How many other state employees are out doing these political activities at the taxpayers cost? Meanwhile, work is probably piling up or getting thrown at other state employees whom have to "make up the difference" while certain pro-democrat workers are out gallivanting around the state on the MSEA's behalf. Shame on Governor Baldacci for allowing this to happen.
On 9/27/08 at 2:43 PM,
Mark44 wrote:
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Anyway you look at it, Senator Collins is “still” is better than Allen!
Kind sheds a real bad light on Old Tom, if Collins bashers are going to the pink-slip extreme!
.
On 9/27/08 at 5:50 PM,
ilovebama_37129 wrote:
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Let's all stand up and give our applause to the then President Bill Clinton who with the democratic majority shoved NAFTA down our throats. That has really worked out good for America hasn't it.........
On 9/27/08 at 6:06 PM,
dgagner wrote:
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As a reminder for those of you who support, Rep. Tom Allen, do you know or care that his is ranked as more to the Left of Sen. Obama, who is considered the most Liberal of the Senators, and that Rep. Allen has missed the majority of votes in the House of Rep. This may be due to his campaigning for election, however both Sen. Collins and Rep. Michaud, who are also up for reelection, were generally present for the voting process. They were doing the job for which they are paid.
Rep. Allen also is famous in Washington,D.C. for having a high number of absences at voting times, perhaps there is no "Present" button. This dereliction of duty may be acceptable in the First District, but in "the other Maine," people work hard for their dollar, and want a person who will think for their constituents and not for the Lobbyists and Nancy Pelosi. Allen is a follower, not a leader. As for the 2 term limits of Colloins, how many is Allen running for? What committee has he led, and how many bills that he has sponsored, have been voted into law. Promising results, independant thinker, and political courage are words not found in Allen's resume.
On 9/27/08 at 8:06 PM,
tju12008 wrote:
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ERRRRRRRR Politics give me a headache !!!!!
On 9/28/08 at 9:00 AM,
HermonStout wrote:
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PhillipGoddard.........
Can you make a concrete list of industrial goods and services that MAINE companies could import to Columbia? It wouldn't be shoes, all the Me. shoe manufacturers closed down a decade ago. Wouldn't be dress shirts, Berkshire Hathaway was purchased a while back by Warren Buffet, and with
hubristic cynicism Berkshire Hathaway is now a financial institution, of the type that has just gone down the tubes...............The only thing they've been manufacturing is increased wealth, if you have the cash to invest!
Paper? Are there any paper companies left who export paper to other countries?
Meanwhile I observe my fellow Mainiers, slopping along in ill fitting shoes made in China, they don't seem to fit around the ankle making it necessary to sort of shuffle along uncomfortably.
Meanwhile, MY DEMOCRACY here in Maine & the USA, took a serious hit Friday night, when the Senate passed the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Bill under cover of the White House financial crisis meeting and the Big Debate, at about 9:pm. It takes away MY right to the OWNERSHIP of MY creative works, UNLESS I can afford a FEE to copyright each and every thing I create. Now; I have the right to sue if someone steals my work.
If this Bill passes in the House, I will not have the right to sue unless I pay this FEE to a PRIVATIZED database company ( Not the US copyright office) This bill doesn't EVEN regulate the amount of the fee.
If I am commissioned by a company to design their logo, I will have to charge THEM MORE for the job to pay this fee and insure that their logo won't be stolen.....................
As far as I can discover, both Senators voted for this bill, as it passed unanimously!
The ideas that come out of MY head BELONG to ME, and to have to PAY to protect them is an infringement on my FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY!
FYI, for the last 30 years, my legal right was protected by a c in circle on the work itself. Simple easy free!
On 9/28/08 at 9:02 AM,
Govt2Big wrote:
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Senator Collins is not perfect, just like all of us, but she is certainly more qualified for that Senate seat than Tom "no show" Allen. ** Collins for U.S. Senate '08 **
On 9/28/08 at 3:13 PM,
grandma53 wrote:
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As a retired state worker, I just want to comment on NAFTA. It brought us some real winners as nurses that were hired by the State of Maine. If that's a sample of what we can expect from Colombia, NO THANKS!
On 9/28/08 at 4:42 PM,
mikeforyou wrote:
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Collins is in toss up on the decision because it will most likely affect the family business in lumber she dosen't care about the maine people unless it in favor of the lumber industries i see here come through the facility that i work at for a political tour just about election tome and stays in a minivan looking out the window at the workers like a school kid looking out a us window at a safari of wild animals that might get out of cotrol .
Collins in my sights is very much scared of the maine worker and tax payer she could atleast get off her butt and shake the hands and talk to the maine people like they are human beings in stead if animals.
On 9/28/08 at 7:45 PM,
Govt2Big wrote:
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Those 24,000 'pink slips' are somewhat impressive, but the trade agreements certainly haven't had an impact on Maine state workers like James Jimmy Cook (pictured). In fact, thanks to a new website at http://www.maineopengov.org, it's now a lot easier for taxpayers to find all of these excessive costs for salaries and benefits. Be careful, the numbers are shocking! How many of those 'pink slips' could have been avoided if the Baldacci Administration cut some of the massive fat from state government?
If you'd like to see this waste for yourself, just spend some time in the state cafeterias and hallways, or perhaps run an audit on that group of workers whom always arrive late, leave early, and balance their checkbook or surf the internet at the taxpayers expense.
Yes indeed, that's a fact and it's happening every day in Augusta. Or as the photograph shows Jimmy Cook was doing last Friday, perhaps you will see state employees out campaigning for the democrats at the taxpayers expense. With a little luck, the OPEGA will investigate this inappropriate use of our tax dollars.
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