AFL-CIO proposes new trade agenda

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_3543

SAN DIEGO - The nation's largest labor federation is proposing a seven-part agenda for changing U.S. trade, including a pause in enacting any new trade pacts.

In proposals that go far beyond what any presidential candidate is proposing, the AFL-CIO's agenda covers everything from currency rules to "insanely inefficient and unfair" corporate taxes, global warming, and import safety.

It even wants transparency in investment rules applied to foreign governments' sovereign wealth funds that are investing in, or taking over, U.S. businesses.

"While trade issues have recently taken center stage in the Democratic primary debate, too often politicians and the media treat our trade problem as a separate and secondary issue that can be treated with small tweaks in trade policy or worker displacement programs," said the federation's Executive Council, meeting in San Diego.

"To the contrary, our struggle to compete successfully in the global economy is intricately connected to the other challenges the U.S. economy and working families are facing," the March 4 statement added. The AFL-CIO proposals to fix trade problems include:

• A strategic pause in new trade pacts "until we can build a comprehensive new trade policy that will support creation of good jobs at home." That pause applies to both bilateral trade treaties, few of which have enforceable workers' rights, and a new World Trade Organization agreement. In a separate statement, the federation declared it would work to have Congress defeat the proposed "free trade" pact with Colombia, where more than 2,500 unionists have been murdered.

FULL story at link.