[CTC] Friday: National Briefing Call on the TPP

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Begin forwarded message:

From: International Brotherhood of Teamsters <communications at teamster.org 
 >
Date: April 4, 2012 9:11:51 AM PDT
To: orftc at citizenstrade.org
Subject: Sign the Petition: No Back Room Deals for the 1%
Reply-To: International Brotherhood of Teamsters <communications at teamster.org 
 >



Dear Arthur Stamoulis,


Back room trade deals benefit big corporations at the expense of  
working people.  We need your help demanding that U.S. officials move  
the Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement negotiations into the light of  
day.

The Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement is a massive new trade deal for  
the Pacific Rim.  After eleven major rounds of negotiations, the  
United States has reportedly introduced proposals for most, if not  
all, of an estimated 26 separate chapters for this pact — proposals  
that will likely affect jobs, wages, agriculture, migration, consumer  
safety, the environment, financial regulations, internet freedom,  
access to medicine, indigenous rights, public procurement and more in  
our communities and throughout the world.

Despite the far-reaching nature of the Trans-Pacific FTA, the U.S.  
Trade Representative has refused to release any of its negotiating  
proposals for public scrutiny.  One corporate trade attorney with  
decades of experience in international trade negotiations recently  
gloated that, "This is the least transparent trade negotiation I have  
ever seen."  That isn't right and has to change.

What's even worse, however, is that while the majority of Americans  
are barred from knowing what's taking place in the Trans-Pacific FTA  
negotiations, approximately 600 corporate lobbyists have been named  
"cleared advisors," giving them regular access to the negotiating  
documents and negotiators.

This type of back-room deal making is unacceptable in a democracy, and  
it is even outside of the norm for international trade negotiations.   
Even the World Trade Organization (WTO) publishes its draft  
negotiating proposals online for public review and comment.

Please sign an online petition urging U.S. Trade Representative Ron  
Kirk to publicly release the negotiating proposals for the Trans- 
Pacific FTA.  The petitions will be delivered to U.S. trade  
negotiators prior to the start of the next negotiating round, widely  
rumored to take place in the United States in May.

You deserve the right to know what U.S. trade negotiators are  
negotiating in your name.  Please take action now.


Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.  Tell-a- 
friend!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for the  
Teamsters Take Action Center.





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