This week, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiators have been meeting in Salt Lake City to hash out the final details of the TPP before the end of the year. They have been ‘welcomed’ with daily creative protests. We understand that the protests are giving negotiators from other countries the courage to stand up to the US.
However, word leaked out yesterday that the US negotiators are using outrageous bullying tactics to force other countries to accept exorbitant patent protections that will keep the cost of healthcare and medical treatments high and out of our reach. This hurts everyone!
The bullying is being led by Stan McCoy of the Office of the US Trade Representative. As a former employee of Covington and Burling, the world’s largest defender of Pharma’s profits, McCoy is accustomed to doing whatever it takes to protect his clients profits, even at the expense of human suffering and lives.
[emailpetition id=”1″]
The US has 20 staffers at the negotiations while other countries have one or a few. “The US has adopted a strategy of exhaustion in its bullying of negotiators on the crucial intellectual property chapter to force countries to trade away health,” according to Professor Jane Kelsey from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who is monitoring the negotiations. ”The US has stepped up its aggression….”
“This is a loaded game,” Professor Kelsey said. “McCoy sets the agenda and timetable. Negotiators are working from morning until late at night and preparing to work all night, if necessary.” Kelsey says that McCoy ignores proposals from other countries and has extended the talks so that negotiators from some poorer countries cannot be present.
This is wrong! Tell Stan that we need a new plan – one that puts people before profits!
Sign and share the petition above. If you prefer, you can email Stan McCoy here: smccoy@ustr.eop.gov and include the USTR office at correspondence@ustr.eop.gov or you can call McCoy here: 202-395-4510.
It only takes a few minutes and thousands of petition signatures, emails and calls will make a difference. Please contact Stan McCoy and urge your friends to do the same.
WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING ON DECEMBER 3?
We will deliver the petition to the Office of the USTR in Washington, DC at noon. Join us in support if you are able. Communities across the world are planning for an international day of action against neoliberal trade and the new wave of toxic agreements — including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Called for by the Indonesian People’s Movement Against Neocolonialism-Imperialism, the day of resistance will coincide with the WTO’s Dec. 3-6th meeting in Bali, Indonesia and precede the TPP’s round of negotiations from Dec. 7-9th in Singapore. With 2013 coming to a close — and support for the TPP diminishing — it’s a powerful opportunity to demonstrate the global commitment to trade that puts people and the planet over profit.
Add your community to the international movement today!
A local action can be anything from a rally for fair wages to a letter-writing session for Members of Congress, and as Dec. 3rd approaches, we’ll be making a map of all the local resistance set to happen across the U.S.
To put your action on the map, follow this link; to learn more, feel free to email stopfasttrack@flushthetpp.org anytime.
Actions on Dec. 3:
– CLICK HERE TO SEE UPDATED LIST OF ACTIONS –
Baltimore, MD – TPP Global Day of Action Baltimore Style! Penn Station at 5 pm, see for details: http://www.flushthetpp.org/tpp-global-day-of-action-baltimore-style/
Washington, DC – Rally and Petition Delivery at the Office of the US Trade Representative at noon, See details here: http://www.flushthetpp.org/globaldayofactiondc/
New York, NY – See details here: http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-nyc/
Long Island, NY – noon, Outside Newsday Headquarters 235 Pinelawn Drive Melville, NY, see http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-long-island-ny/
Albany, NY – Corner of State St and Pearl St at noon. See http://www.occupyalbany.org/flush-the-tpp/
Plattsburgh, NY – Meet at noon at the corner of Broad and Beekman, more details to come. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-in-plattsburgh-ny/
New Haven, CT – Check here for details: http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-new-haven/
Brooksville, FL – St. Petersburg Times Office, 15365 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613 at 2 pm. See: http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-brooksville/
Orlando, FL – Join the Light Brigade at 7 pm. Meet at Colonial & Bumby, Orlando, FL. Event website: https://www.facebook.com/events/255140131304700/?ref=5 See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-orlando-fl/
Lake Worth, FL – At 11:30 am, meet at Lake Worth, FL — Bryant Park for an International Solidarity Protest Against Free Trade and TPP at the southwest access to the bridge over the InterCoastal Waterway. Hosted and organized by Occupy Palm Beach! See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-lakeworth/
– CLICK HERE TO SEE UPDATED LIST OF ACTIONS –
Belfast, ME – City Hall, Council Chambers, 131 Church St. Belfast, ME 04915 at 7 pm. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-belfast/
Hanover, NH – Meet at 3:30 pm near the green at the Four Corners, possible march. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-hanover-nh/
Philadelphia, PA – At 5 pm, 15th & Market St. Station. Join us as we hand out flyers and raise awareness around the TPP! Check out the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1410326482538186 See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-philly/
Columbus, OH – Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. Exact details to come. Contact Natalie Yoon at natalie@usft.org for more information! See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-columbus-oh/
Decorah, IA – Flash mob. See details here: http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-decorah/
St. Louis, MO – Rep. Ann Wagner’s Office, 301 Sovereign Court, Suite 201, Ballwin, MO 63011 at 11 am. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-st-louis/
Overland Park, KS – At 3 pm, meet in front of JoCo Central Library at 9875 W. 87th St,. Overland Park, KS. Event website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JOCOMoveon/409983815693974?sk=events. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-overland-park-ks/.
Chicago, IL – Details to come, see here: http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-chicago/
Cheboygan, MI – Noon, 870 S. Main Street. Event Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straits-Area-Concerned-Citizens-for-Peace-Justice/330282423781340 and see http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-cheboygan-mi/
Pueblo, CO – Meet at 4th St and Midtown Circle, Pueblo, CO, Event website: http://activatepueblo.tumblr.com and see http://www.flushthetpp.org/flush-the-tpp-pueblo-co/
Fort Collins, CO – From 2 to 4 pm, meet at NE corner of College and Mountain. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-fort-collins-co/
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – March at the Jardin to the office of the US Consulate at 10 am, see http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-milwaukee-wi/
Honolulu, HI – TPP Awareness Campaign, Federal Building at 6 pm. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/tpp-awareness-campaign/
Olympia, WA – Tivoli Fountain at Washington State Capital Grounds at noon. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-olympia/
Portland, OR – At Reed College, more details to come. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-action-reed/
Orange, CA – At 5 pm, The Orange Circle, Glassell Street and Chapman Ave, Event website: https://www.facebook.com/events/1437322823153577 and see http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-orange-ca/
Palm Springs, CA – Meet at 2 pm at the Marilyn Statue Park, Tahquitz Canyon @ Palm Canyon, Palm Springs. Event website: http://www.occupycoachellavalley.net See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-palm-springs-ca/
Grass Valley, CA – At Tomes Bookstore, 6:30 to 8 pm. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-grass-valley-ca/
Sacramento, CA – At the state capital building, raise your voices against the TPP, at 11 am. See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-sacramento/
– CLICK HERE TO SEE UPDATED LIST OF ACTIONS –
Other Days of Action in solidarity:
Nashville, TN – Dec. 9 at 6 pm. Friends Meeting House, 530 26th Ave, N. Nashville, TN. Event website: http://www.nashvillepeacejustice.org/ See http://www.flushthetpp.org/round-table-discussion-on-how-to-stop-tpp/
Milwaukee, WI on Dec. 11 – See http://www.flushthetpp.org/global-day-of-action-milwaukee-wi/