The labor movement here and abroad brought trade union and human rights issues to the forefront of the World Trade Organization's round of talks in Seattle last fall. Despite the actions of radical protesters in Seattle's downtown district--which the labor movement took no part in and roundly condemned--the serious concerns of the AFT and its labor and international allies were aired and incorporated to some extent in the U.S. government's position. It sent a powerful message to the world body, which failed to accept the U.S. position.

The AFT was a significant presence among the 40,000 participants who marched peacefully through the streets of Seattle Nov. 30. With a broad banner heralding the contingent of 100 or so Washington Federation of Teachers members, "we drew applause all along the march route" to the rally, says Wendy Rader-Konofalski of the WFT. The marchers were there to demand that international trade rules be reformed to respect workers' rights and to protect the environment.

Speaking at the rally, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney noted that free trade isn't "free" if its costs are child labor and forced labor, poverty wages, hazardous workplaces and environmental degradation. The idea of fair trade, he said, must take precedence over free trade.

The AFT participated in the meeting as an accredited non-governmental organization (NGO) and also served on the labor advisory group to the U.S. delegation. It was the only education group, other than Education International, to be a designated NGO. AFT worked closely with EI and other international labor groups such as Public Service International and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions on issues in addition to worker rights and child labor.

One of the top concerns of the AFT and public service unions, for example, is that the WTO is now looking to open trade in the service sector, including adult education, health care and public service. Actions by the WTO would give a boost to privatization by easing the movement of companies and workers across international borders.

The higher education branch of EI, meeting in Budapest in September 1999, passed a resolution for EI board consideration that would ask that higher education be excluded from the list of agreed-upon topics that can be open for discussion in WTO talks. While the focus of the fall 1999 WTO meeting was on non-service trade concerns, such as agriculture and production, education services are likely to come up at the next meeting, this winter.

The AFT higher education division has particular concerns about the U.S. government's official offer to open negotiations on trade in education services in the "adult" category, one of five categories provided for in the WTO classification for negotiations. Specifically, the higher education division questions how broadly the U.S. government might interpret the "adult" category since most higher education institutions in this country have adult students. The lines of demarcation between "higher education" and "adult education" as defined by the WTO are not easily drawn in the United States' manner of educating.

Other WTO proposals of concern to public employee unions would allow companies in other countries to bid on services provided by public employees in this country or to compete for U.S. government contracts that currently are with U.S. companies and employees.

AFT vice presidents Herb Magidson and Norm Swenson participated in the labor activities, along with the many members of AFT affiliates representing health care, higher education and classified employees in Washington and Oregon.