How to Lead a NAFTA Office Visit

We’re asking you to please visit your U.S. Representative’s local district office over the November Congressional Recess (Nov. 17 – 27) to deliver a factsheet about local NAFTA impacts and a letter with our NAFTA demands.

This is timed with the next round of NAFTA negotiations taking place in Mexico City starting November 17th, and is in solidarity with the “Inter-Continental Days of Action on NAFTA” also taking place at that time.

We need to push policymakers to embrace our demands for a NAFTA replacement now — while it still makes a difference.

Here’s what we need you to do…

1.) PICK A DATE & LET US KNOW IT:  Pick a date and time to to drop by your U.S. Representative’s local office, and fill out this form to let us know when you’re going.  You can find your Rep’s name online here, and visit their website to find their local office addresses.  We recommend going on Friday, November 17th if you’re able — but any time that works for you this month is fine.  Recruit some friends and colleagues to join you if you’re able, or go alone.  Any type of in-person visit is very valuable.

2.) PREPARE YOUR MATERIALS:  Scroll down on this page to download and print your state-specific NAFTA factsheet, a template letter to your Congressmember and any other materials you’d like to bring along.  Be sure to edit the template letter to put in your Congressmember’s name and your contact information.  You’ll want to deliver those materials during your visit.  If you’ve been collecting postcards or petition signatures, you should bring those, too.

3.) CONDUCT THE VISIT:  Be friendly!  Introduce yourself to the receptionist and ask if you can speak with the District Director for a minute to deliver a letter about NAFTA.

• Explain that NAFTA has hurt jobs and wages in your state and hand over the state-specific factsheet.
• Say that you want the ongoing NAFTA renegotiation to put working people and the planet ahead of corporate profits by prioritizing much stronger labor and environmental standards, eliminating ISDS and more — and hand over the letter you’ve signed.
• Wrap up by asking that the Congressperson please send you a letter with his or her position on the issues in your letter.  (Additional asks could include speaking out publicly in support of these demands at your union or community group meeting; or scheduling a follow-up meeting.)

If possible, have someone take a picture of you speaking to staff and/or delivering the letter and any other materials.

4.) LET US KNOW HOW IT WENT:  After the visit, please fill out this form to let us know how it went: who, if anyone, went with you and what was the name of the staff person you met with; what, if anything, did they say about the Congressmember’s position; and what was the overall tone of the meeting?  We’ll use the information you report to plan next steps in the campaign.  If you were able to take any photos, please also send a couple of the best ones to photos@citizenstrade.org.

Key Items to Print Out and Deliver During Your Visit

State-Specific NAFTA Factsheets

Template NAFTA Demands Letter for Delivery (PDF) (Word)

Links for Coordination

Please Fill This Out Before Your Meeting

Please Fill This Out Immediately After Your Meeting

Other Background Materials

Basic NAFTA Factsheet

Citizen Trade Campaign’s Letter Detailing Civil Society NAFTA Demands

Toolkit on ISDS

Sierra Club NAFTA Renegotiation Toolkit

Tri-National Press Release on NAFTA’s Renegotiation

The ReplaceNAFTA.org Website