[CTC] Canadian Prime Minister Urged to Protect Jobs, Wages & Human Rights

Thu Feb 15 06:52:24 PST 2018

Great work by the Sierra Club, Public Citizen, Steelworkers, California Trade Justice Coalition and others…

http://www.vcstar.com/story/opinion/readers/2018/02/13/protect-people-and-planet/335670002/

Protect people and the planet

Re: your story Feb.11, "Trudeau touts trade in Simi speech":

For over 20 years, the Sierra Club and our allies across North American borders have fought against NAFTA, which led to the offshoring of an estimated 400,000 U.S. jobs. It has allowed corporations to export pollution and override local laws to protect the environment.   

Over the last year, Trump's NAFTA 2.0 negotiations have taken place behind closed doors, with a plan anticipated to be even worse for workers and climate. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentions trade and industries but not workers or the environment.

Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) undermines protective laws of all kinds. ISDS must be eliminated from the agreement because it has allowed polluters to sue governments.

For example, Metalclad Corp. sued the government of Mexico in order to impose toxic waste on the Mexican community of San Luis Potosi. Trade like this is not beneficial to the people in any region.

That's why I joined a half-dozen residents in demonstrating outside the Reagan Library on Feb. 9, demanding Trudeau put people and the planet above polluter profits. The Sierra Club, California Trade Justice Coalition and allies demand a NAFTA replacement that puts people and planet first by including strong labor, environmental and climate standards with swift and certain enforcement.

If Trudeau wants to be a true climate leader and progressive on trade, he must commit any NAFTA replacement to align with the Paris climate goals, protect working people and protect the environment across North America.

Editor: The author is conservation chair for the Sierra Club's San Fernando Valley Group.

Theresa Brady, Topanga

https://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/blog/2018/02/09/canadian-prime-minister-urged-protect-jobs-wages-human-rights/
Canadian Prime Minister Urged to Protect Jobs, Wages & Human Rights <https://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/blog/2018/02/09/canadian-prime-minister-urged-protect-jobs-wages-human-rights/>

As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with business executives, politicians and others to discuss economic ties between the U.S. and Canada in February 2018, fair trade advocates representing a coalition of California-based labor, environmental and human rights organizations gathered outside events in San Francisco and Simi Valley to urge the Prime Minister to prioritize the addition of strong labor and environmental standards to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“After six major rounds of NAFTA negotiations, the Trump administration still hasn’t agreed to the tough labor and environmental provisions needed to protect jobs in the U.S. and Canada, to protect human rights in Mexico and to raise wages continent-wide. Working families throughout North America need Prime Minister Trudeau to stay true to his pledge to fight for these issues in any NAFTA replacement,” said Will Wiltschko, director of the California Trade Justice Coalition.

NAFTA is currently being renegotiated between the United States, Canada and Mexico, and was expected to be a major subject during Trudeau’s multi-city visit to the United States.

Activists held signs reading “Progressive Trade Means Labor & Environmental Rights,” “ISDS Is A Corporate Power Grab” and “Prime Minister: Put People Over Profits.”

Replace NAFTA protesters were also present outside a Trudeau event at the University of Chicago earlier in the week.

The actions received coverage in Canadian media and were highlighted on social media by Parliamentarians.

Chicago:
 <https://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Trudeau_Chicago_0218.jpg>

San Francisco:
 <https://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Trudeau_SF_NAFTA.jpg>

Simi Valley:
 <https://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Trudeau_SimiValley.jpg>

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826

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