USW President Gerard Calls for Democratic Platform to Be United on Trade

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/usw-president-gerard-calls-democratic-platform-united-trade/

CLEVELAND, Aug 01, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ ----'We must confront need to reject status quo approach, adopt new framework'

Leo W. Gerard, President of the United Steelworkers, today presented a series of questions on trade policy at a national hearing of the Democratic National Platform Committee, challenging the panel drafting the document for the upcoming nominating convention to find answers for inclusion.

"These questions revolve around our nation's international trade policy -- one significant area of debate within our party. While the public has increasingly shown its concerns with the direction of our nation's trade policies, our elected leaders do not stand united on what course to pursue," Gerard declared.

"We must confront the need to reject the status quo approach to trade and adopt a new framework that is pro-worker, pro-trade, pro-growth, pro-equity," he added.

Citing that the Democratic Party's platform is more than a document that outlines the aspirations of our nominee, Gerard called it a roadmap that guides the entire party - including leaders in the Governor's mansions, in the Congress and in the state houses.

Among the questions he said that require answers were the following:

-- "How can we continue to run trade deficits of hundreds of billions of dollars a year, accumulating more than $6 trillion in current account deficits since 1994 - borrowing about $2 billion each and every day and not expect that there will be a price to pay?"

FULL story at link.