From the Teamsters, UAW and Unied Steelworkers: The TPP screws labor

[cali]

We serve as representatives of American organized workers on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN) and together have stated that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a bum deal we cannot support.

By registering our dissent to the ACTPN report that endorses the agreement, the Teamsters, the United Steelworkers and the United Auto Workers are letting Congress and the public know this deal fails everyday Americans and must be rejected by our elected representatives. The TPP is simply the latest in a long line of terrible trade pacts that ship jobs overseas and lower wages at home. At a time of outrageous economic inequality and stagnate wages, TPP is the last thing we should do.

Despite the efforts of supporters to frame this 12-nation Pacific Rim agreement as the gold standard and one that would stick up for the interests of millions of workers in the U.S. and abroad, the TPP fails on all accounts. Now that the text is no longer secret, many are seeing the agreement does not hold up under scrutiny.

Take, for instance, labor rights. While those promoting the trade deal said it would advance workers in member nations and allow the formation of unions, the actual language in the agreement offers only false promises of progress. In fact, countries with abysmal labor standards will have to do little, if anything, to comply with the commitments of the TPP's labor chapter. A country may have to adopt a minimum wage, but even one penny an hour would be sufficient to meet the requirements of the TPP.

That, in turn, would negatively impact domestic manufacturing. U.S. workers can't compete with foreign workers toiling away in unsafe conditions and only making pennies a day, as is the case in countries like Vietnam. Simply put, this trade deal is designed to support the global supply chains of multinational companies through continued outsourcing of production and offshoring of jobs.

Enforcement is another failure of the trade deal. There are no integrated enforcement measures, even though the existing protocols are woefully insufficient. This should be a major concern for Congress. Lawmakers must refuse to consider the TPP or any other trade deals without more enforcement resources. American workers need a system that ensures unfair trade practices will be dealt with forcefully.

<snip>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-p-hoffa/labor-unions-tpp_b_8740856.html

[leftstreet]

1. DURec

[hifiguy]

2. Of course it does.

That is what it is meant and intended to do.

Good to see you back, cali!

[ljm2002]

3. Good! Glad they are getting out in front of this...

...we need to defeat this corporate-written monstrosity.

I will also note that, now that the text really is out there for all to see, there is a whole contingent of TPP yea-sayers here at DU who can no longer use their favorite tactic of saying "But no one knows what's really in it, we'll have to wait and see." I see a lot less defense of this piece of ... than I used to here.

And once again, welcome back cali. You have done a yeoman's job of keeping TPP issues front and center at DU and your absence was felt.

[rhett o rick]

4. Yep it's the Gold Standard. nm

[Township75]

5. Yet these losers will get behind a candidate that supports it

They get what they deserve.

[nationalize the fed]

9. +1

Divide and Conquer has worked. How else could DC get the people to vote against their better interests- over and over and over again. Pathetic.

[Hoyt]

6. You'd think these unions would be interested in helping people in poor countries.

Guess there's not enough money in it for the unions, even though they call themselves "international."

That's sad.

[cali]

7. You didn't read the article.

[cali]

8. Oh, and U.S. Unions represent U.S. workers. That is their mandate.

[Hoyt]

10. Then why are they called "International?"

They too fo where the money is, not where it could be down the road. New markets, advancing wealth in poor countries, will help us too.