April 10, 2008  

(Washington, D.C.) –Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on Thursday commended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for blocking a vote on the proposed trade deal with Colombia.

The Teamsters will continue to strongly oppose the agreement.

“All of these trade deals are hurting American workers, but this one is especially bad because of Colombia’s horrible human rights record,” Hoffa said. “No agreement with Colombia should be considered until the government prosecutes the killers of trade unionists and until the union killings stop. Already this year, 11 trade unionists have been killed. It will take years to address the decades of violence and impunity that has taken place.”

More than 2,500 trade unionists have been assassinated in Colombia, and very little has been done to bring their murderers to justice.

Hoffa on Thursday sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to support Pelosi.

“The Teamsters have always opposed the current Fast Track procedure and are pleased that the Democratic leadership has exerted its rightful constitutional authority over trade,” Hoffa wrote.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.