[CTC] Labor statements against a "skinny NAFTA"

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Statements opposing a "skinny NAFTA" from the Teamsters, Steelworkers and
Richard Trumka...

TEAMSTERS OPPOSE ‘SKINNY’ NAFTA
Hoffa and Laporte to Negotiators:
Stay at the Table, Replace Old Agreement With New Pro-Worker Pact

(WASHINGTON) – In response to recent reports that North American Free Trade
Agreement  (NAFTA) negotiators are being pressured by the “free trade”
lobby to abandon the ambitious reforms of NAFTA 2.0, the presidents of the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Teamsters Canada are calling on
their respective governments to keep working and not capitulate to
corporate pressure and artificial deadlines.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa explained, “We’ve waited nearly a
quarter century to get out of the flawed and failed NAFTA deal. The premise
of these talks all along has been that if something is worth doing, it’s
worth doing all the way. Ambassador Lighthizer and the NAFTA team at the
USTR have worked hard to rebalance the old trade pact in several ways that
we could support in a ratification vote in Congress, as long as the new
deal represents real reform around key Teamster priority issues like labor,
cross-border trucking and the elimination of the old ‘investor-to-state’
mechanism in the investment chapter. We feel strongly that they should not
give up now.”

Teamsters Canada President François Laporte concurred. “A ‘skinny NAFTA’ is
a terrible
idea,” he said. “We have supported the Trudeau government throughout the
talks, going back
to the first round last summer, and especially their progressive approach
to workers’ rights in a new labor chapter. They have made great progress on
this central issue for which we
commend them. Now we must encourage them to stay the course and to stay at
the
negotiating table.”

The Teamsters are North America’s supply chain union. Among its members are
long-haul
truckers, freight rail conductors and trainmen, port drivers, air freight
and warehouse workers.

If something is in international trade, this union’s members have probably
touched it. The
Teamsters are pro-trade, but want fair trade.

-30


USW: NAFTA Approach Must Be Comprehensive; “Skinny Deal” is Unacceptable

*CONTACT: *Holly Hart <hhart at usw.org> (202) 778-4384

(Pittsburgh) -- *United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W.
Gerard issued the following statement regarding discussions in Washington,
D.C. about possibly approving limited portions of the renegotiated North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), while leaving important provisions
for later consideration.*

*In addition to serving as International President for the USW, President
Gerard chairs the official Labor Advisory Committee that advises the United
States Trade Representative and Secretary of Labor on trade negotiations
and policy.*

“In Washington, business leaders are talking about approving portions of
the NAFTA renegotiations, while leaving the most important provisions for
possible later action. They want changes that benefit business while
denying workers any relief from outsourcing and reducing our unacceptably
high NAFTA trade deficit. For far too long, multinational companies have
profited at the expense of workers in all three countries. Allowing
corporations to harvest new benefits while continuing to ship more jobs out
of the country is unacceptable.

“The special interest lobbyists have called this a ‘skinny deal’ containing
limited provisions. There can be no mistake that they are trying to grab
more benefits while continuing to oppose actions that would help workers.
These include advancing labor rights, improving rules of origin,
eliminating the investor state dispute settlement and adopting a sunset
review. It is classic Washington bait and switch that is unacceptable.”

*The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many
industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and
the service and public sectors.*


*Plus President Trump's tweet...*
https://twitter.com/RichardTrumka/status/998949826049044482?s=19


Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826
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