Thanks to everyone who testified. There was a great turnout and excellent and informative testimony.
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Rep. Mike Michaud, Terry Whirty, and Jon Falk
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Wade Merritt of the Maine International Trade Center, with staff from Senator Snowe and Senator Collins' offices and Rep. Mike Michaud
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Emery Deabay of USW Local 1188, Bucksport talks about the fear of job loss, and the hope of the TRADE Act.
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Bonnie Preston, Alliance for Democracy, delivered inspiring testimony about the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership), Atlantica, and water issues.
Terry Whirty, USW in Millinocket, spoke about the huge and devestating impact job loss due to unfair trade has had on his town.
Jon Falk, from PICA, told about the kNOw US AND THEM program, and the impact of unfair trade on both Maine workers and on the people of El Salvador.
Steve Husson, laid-off DHL worker and current Food and Medicine staff, told stories of what it is like to be laid-off, and the struggle for workers trying to find decent wages, health care, and security for their families.
Alec Aman, UMaine student about to graduate, talked about hoping to find a job and stay in Maine. He also spoke about recent investor-state rights cases in Maryland and Vermont.
Rep. Rick Burns spoke about the hardships free trade has created in Maine, and the need to safeguard our water resources.
Kathleen Caldwell retold the stories of sweatshop workers she met in El Salvador who struggle to survive on poverty wages making clothing.
John Greenman of Old Town spoke about the need to move towards a people-centered democratic economy from the bottom up.
Noah Dudley expressed concerns about the Atlantica proposal.
Liam Bunnell, a farmer from mid-coast Maine, gave concerte examples of the failure of the NAFTA model of trade policy for small farmers.
Logan Perkins, of Food for Maine's Future (a part of the National Family Farm Coalition) spoke about her recent trip to Mozambique at a gathering of small farmers from around the world. Logan pointed out specific sections of the TRADE Act that would begin to fix broken U.S> agriculture policy as well as a few ways the TRADE Act could be strengthened.
Jessie Dowling, an organizer with Maine Atlantica Watch, spoke about her recent tour of New England and Atlantic Canada about the Atlantica proposal.
The audience waited through over three hours of testimony, learning from one another about the impacts of free trade that Maine and the world are suffering.
Bill Murphey of the Maine Bureau of Labor Education spoke about the workers in Jay who are about to lose their jobs, adding to the tens of thousands that have lost their jobs since NAFTA passed.
Dennis Chinoy of PICA brought down the house with his exciting and engaging interpretation of the TRADE Act, which he says, "reads like poetry."
Commissioners Paul Volckhausen and Rep. Elsie Flemings enjoy Dennis' testimony.
Alec Maybarduk of MSEA-SEIU Local 1989.
Paul Kates gave powerful testimony on the impact of free trade on the climate, and the need to act to prevent climate change.
Daphne Loring of the Maine Fair Trade Campaign celebrates the enivronmental standards in the TRADE Act.
Eric Odier-Fink of Justice Clothing in Bangor, a small business struggling to keep the lights on while buying apparel made only under good working conditions.
Alec Maybarduk of Maine State Employees Association reported that the future of off-shoring, according to several studies, is in service sector jobs.
Bjorn Claeson, director of Sweatfree Communities and former member of the Commission, spoke about Maine's leadership on procurement issues, and asked the Commission to urge Governor Baldacci to work with the other Governors nationally to grow the Sweat-free Consortium for state purchasing.
Chair Rep. John Patrick, at his last meeting (due to term limits).
Commissioners Leslie Manning, John Palmer, Wade Merritt, and Linda Pistner.
Rep. Mike Michaud gives the context of the fair trade fight from the D.C. perspective.
Chairs Sen. Peggy Rotundo and Rep. John Patrick
Brent Hall of Food AND Medicine reads testimony of a laid-off mill worker.
Carlos Valencia, who's parents immigranted from Morelia, Mexico to the U.S. when they could no longer make money selling fruit after NAFTA, spoke about the experience of a second generation immigrant living in Maine.