US Labor Education in the Americas Project |Take Action

Ask Flower Industry Leaders to Respect the Rights of Flower Workers in Colombia

To: Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora) and Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES)

Started by: US Labor Education in the Americas Project

Flower workers in Colombia are mostly women who are not paid a living wage and therefore are unable to provide adequately for their children. They are too often exposed to harmful chemicals that have serious long-term health affects. Also, workers who try to organize to improve conditions are frequently fired or otherwise denied their basic right to form an independent union.

Around 60% of the flowers sold in the U.S. come from Colombia, and consumers in the U.S. spend over $18 billion on flowers annually. Colombia is required to provide internationally recognized worker rights under the Andean Trade Preference and Eradication Act. Colombia has failed to do so.

Of most recent concern, the pending Colombia Free Trade Agreement would make these benefits to the Colombia flower industry permanent without improving protection for flower workers. The basic rights of flower workers in Colombia must be respected before considering a free trade agreement with Colombia in any form.

While the flower industry does provide many rural people in Colombia with jobs (over 110,000 directly and 95,000 indirectly), these jobs are unsafe, unreliable and unjust.

Additional information is available at our website: www.usleap.org.

We need your help! Write flower industry leaders and ask them to respect the rights of flower workers in Colombia!

Sign the Letter

Please Respect the Rights of Flower Workers

Dear Mr. Solano and Mr. Weidmann,

I have recently learned about the conditions faced by flower workers, most of whom are women, in Colombia, a country that I understand provides 60% of the flowers sold in the U.S. As a consumer in the global economy, I am concerned about how the goods I consume are produced, including the conditions faced by workers, at home or abroad. Since you are leaders of the Colombian fresh cut flower export and the American fresh cut flower import industry/retailers, I would ask that you significantly strengthen efforts to ensure that flower workers are paid a living wage, are not exposed to harmful chemicals, and are fully able to exercise their basic rights as women and as workers, including their right to form independent unions so they can improve working conditions and take care of their families. I have also learned about the pending Free Trade Agreement with Colombia and the Andean trade program that provides trade benefits for flowers coming from Colombia to the U.S. You should know that I am also contacting my members of Congress to urge them to ensure that U.S. trade policy with Colombia is based on respect for rights of flower workers. Thank you for considering my concerns. Sincerely,

[Your name here]

Sorry, the time period for signing this petition has ended.

Jamie Lee Martinez, CA

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

Jun 25
Roswitha von Heissen Tutzing Germany, AL

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

Jun 10
Heather Mansfield Springfield, MO

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

Jun 09
jake wolfhart Peace Dude Capitan, NM

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

Jun 01
joelle coudriou paris, France

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

May 19
karen ericson bothell, WA

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

May 18
Sarah Perez Torrance, CA

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

May 17
Sourav Roy Kolkata / Mumbai, India

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

May 15
Wendy Leonard Aptos, CA

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

May 14
Julie Greenspan San Diego, CA

Sent letter to Augusto Solano (ASOCOLFLORES) and Shawn Weidmann (Teleflora)

May 14