Colombian labor activists to speak Tuesday in Minneapolis

Flowers are one of Colombia’s biggest exports – with 76 percent going to the United States – yet workers in this industry have few protections. Two Colombian workers will discuss these issues at a free program Tuesday in Minneapolis.

The program will start at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the CWA Local 7200 hall, 3521 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. The theme of the program is “These Roses Have Thorns: Flower Workers & U.S. Free Trade with Colombia.”

Speakers will be Josefa Gomez and Leo Luna Alzate from Cactus, which advocates for flower worker rights in Colombia. Flowers are a priority sector in the Labor Action Plan created as part of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. The workers, 65 percent of whom are female, have few protections.

This event is sponsored by Witness For Peace-Upper Midwest, the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition and Veterans for Peace. For more information, contact Elise Roberts by e-mail or 920-421-2269.