The Toxic Truth: Unfair Trade Kills

Latest Blog Entries

China Trade Promises All Snake Oil -- Fair Trade Crucial
Monday, August 04, 2008
In the free for all 21st, it all sounds terrific -- free markets, free trade and free commerce. But really, it's lies, traderous lies and statistics. The "d" in trader is deliberate. This is about the sleight of hand billed as free trade.
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NLC investigation reveals imported Ernie toy toxic to workers
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Over the past year, American parents rebuffed foreign-made toys when they contained leaded paint, poisonous cadmium beads or the “date rape” drug. These toxic toys created a scandal as it became clear that the Bush administration’s deliberately stripped down Consumer Product Safety Commission was not protecting American children and families from dangerous imports. Republicans eschew government regulation, but its absence has allowed our supermarkets to sell us imported tainted toothpaste and deadly dog food.
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Regulation essential to stop toxic trade
Friday, July 11, 2008
Toxic Trader invades DC With a motorcycle police escort, the United Steelworkers’ “Toxic Trader” puppet lurched down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House, on his way to the Grand Hyatt Hotel on H Street in Washington, D.C. on July 9. That is where the Bush administration-backed Import Safety Summit was being conducted by industry leaders and lobbyists who proposed self-instituting standards for safety rather that face government-imposed inspections and regulations to ensure products shipped into this country don’t maim and injure consumers. On the sidewalk, just outside the Summit, three red-caped Toxic Avengers slew the evil puppet and saved the world. That was the point of the USW’s street theater production, which travels the country to protest unfair trade and so-called free trade deals that export jobs and flood our shores with unsafe imports, from tainted fish to deadly dog food.
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'Toxic Trader' puppet leads D.C. demonstration
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Children pointed, tourists snapped photos, and Washington D.C. office workers on lunch break stopped to stare as the gargantuan “Toxic Trader” puppet lurched down Pennsylvania Avenue today past the White House on its way to the Bush administration-backed Import Safety Summit.
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United Steelworkers Releases Results of Study on Toxic Trade Fatalities. READ THE REPORT HERE.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
The United Steelworkers released the results of a study showing exactly how toxic trade kills unsuspecting American consumers during a teleconference call today at 10:15 a.m.
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Latest Press Releases

Legal, Environmental Health, & Child-Care Advocates
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Legal, environmental, and child health and safety advocates will hold a news conference to warn parents of continuing dangers related to lead, phthlate, and cadmium-laced toys this holiday season.
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Toxic Toys Still an Issue As Tougher Safety Law Nears
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Children’s health and safety advocates today offered free lead-testing kits to parents and childcare centers warning that millions of toxic toys are still in homes. They echoed concerns by some national consumer groups that new ones may flood store shelves during the last holiday season before tough, new federal toy safety standards go into effect on Feb. 10.
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USW Women of Steel Crusade Against Toxic Trade; Hosts Session to Demonstrate Testing Products for Lead
Monday, November 17, 2008
The United Steelworkers (USW) Women of Steel (WOS) is hosting a lead screening session to educate families about potentially toxic products and the bad trade policies that are allowing them into our homes. The product screenings are part of the USW's international "Protect Our Kids - Stop Toxic Imports" campaign.
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'Toxic Trader' Puppet Confronts Mark Souder
Monday, July 28, 2008
The United Steelworkers' gigantic "Toxic Trader" puppet will visit U.S. Rep. Mark Souder's Fort Wayne office Wednesday to protest his support of free trade deals that destroy jobs and poison Indiana families and the environment
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USW Supports Newly Proposed ‘Trade Enforcement Act of 2008’
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
U.S. House proposal is good step forward; other improvements needed
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Latest Videos

• 2008 Chemical Olympics
  

• WPVI - Get The Lead Out Coverage
  

• Stop Toxic Toy Import Campaign
  

• Lead Test Kit News Spot
  

• Contaminated Without Consent
  

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Latest Photos

 

	7/30/2008 Fort Wayne Indiana Toxic Trade Protest at Mark Souder's Office July 30, 2008
	Steelworkers and allies united to protest Indiana Representative Mark Souder's stance on trade. The press conference in front of the Federal Building highlighted the unfair trade policies that have been passed since 1994. Local activists told stories of plant closures and toxic toys. The Toxic Trader Puppet, Schleppy made an appearance at the press conference but was quickly brought down by the Toxic Avengers from Northeast Indiana, who vowed to reclaim their world from Toxic Trade.

	5/28/2008 Cleveland Toxic Trade March and Street Theater May 2008
	Jobs with Justice, the United Steelworkers, the United Church of Christ and Working America joined forces to combat Toxic Trade in Cleveland. Schleppy, the Toxic Trade puppet was taken to his knees and beheaded by masked Toxic Avengers in a street theater performance in the Free Speech Quad on May 28th.

	6/14/2008 Pittsburgh Magarac Attack Festival June 2008
	Schleppy the Toxic Trader appeared in Market Square during the Magarac Attack Art Festival in June. Once again the masked Toxic Avengers brought the 15 foot tall Schleppy to his knees and reclaimed the world for the citizens of Pittsburgh.

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