As part of a six-member Solidarity Center delegation, Florida State AFL-CIO Vice President Mike Williams learned about Colombian workers’ constant struggle for social and economic justice—and why U.S workers need to hear their story.

Day 1— After a few busy days conducting the Labor Management Coalition Meeting and the Building Trades Convention in St. Pete Beach, I spent last night at the Tampa Airport Hotel. Tampa to Miami to Bogotá were the flights of the day.

I met my Colombia companions, Bill, Nancy, and Tim, for the first time at the Miami airport. We were all on the same flight from Miami to Bogotá.

Flying into Bogotá was incredible. Surrounded by mountains, the city sits at an elevation of almost 8,000 feet above sea level. Upon landing in Bogotá and clearing immigration/customs, we were met by our hosts for the trip: Samantha Tate and Rhett Doumitt of the Solidarity Center. A driver wildly wheeled us through downtown Bogotá to our hotel. After checking in, we walked down the block to acquire Colombian currency. I secured 300,000 pesos and it sounds like a lot, but that equals about $200. We then walked to a corner restaurant and had the first tastes of the local foods. The bottles of local beer were good but the food needs a little southern influence!

We then met for a briefing meeting. Rhett gave us a tentative schedule for the next five of our 11 days in Colombia and spoke generally about the structure of labor in Colombia. We then reviewed a range of security issues.

Tomorrow we will remain in Bogotá and, along with the interpreters, we will meet with various workers and activists. Our travel, beginning on Tuesday, will carry us through parts of the country still controlled by paramilitary groups, which is why the schedule is tentative!

Samantha reviewed background information regarding issues associated with the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Congress is still under pressure from the White House to pass this bill.

I am back in the hotel room trying to get my cell phone to change to the Bogotá local time, a one-hour difference from Florida. It appears that I will just have to continue to subtract an hour from the displayed time as I am having no luck. Good night all!

Click on the links below to read the rest of the daily logs:

Day 2, July 21: We Meet True Worker and Human Rights Champions
Day 3, July 22: Colombian Miners: “We Are Treated Like Pieces of Coal”
Day 4, July 23: “What Can We Do that Has Some Meaning?”
Day 5, July 24: Meeting the “Forgotten” Workers
Day 6, July 25: “For Union Workers, Our Government Has Abandoned Us!”
Day 7, July 26: Worker Solidarity: “Do Not Forget Juan’s Face!”
Day 8, July 27: “The Most Beautiful Place in the World”
Day 9, July 28: An Informative Political Briefing  
Day 10, July 29: “The Circle of Death” and Other Issues  
Day 11, July 30: A Not-So-Sweet Homecoming