IAM President Thomas Buffenbarger and union members rallied on Capitol Hill in 2011 to oppose proposed U.S. trade deals with Korea, Colombia and Panama that ignored workers' rights.

The U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (Colombia FTA) went into effect in May 2012, even though the government of Colombia has not met its obligations under the “Colombian Action Plan Related to Labor Rights” (also known as the Labor Action Plan), fails to defend workers in their efforts to exercise freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining and allows those who attack union activists and human rights defenders to operate with near total impunity.  The FTA’s entry into force however, is not the end of the story.  The AFL-CIO continues to work in solidarity with Colombian trade unionists to press the U.S. and Colombian governments to reform Colombia’s law and practice so that all Colombians can freely exercise their rights without risking their lives or livelihoods. Read more.