Unions React To ObamaTrade Release: 'Worst fears' realized

Earlier today, the White House released the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (otherwise known as ObamaTrade).
Following its release, unions reacted strongly.
The following are statements issued by various unions.

International Association of Machinists’ President Tom Buffenbarger

“The IAM’s worst fears about TPP materialized early this morning when the U.S. Trade Representative released the TPP text,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “While we are still reviewing this document, on nearly all matters of immediate relevance to American working families and their communities, this agreement fails to deliver. Not only are the labor provisions warmed over language from failed past agreements, but the agreement actually takes a giant step backward, with the inclusion of Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Mexico. Additionally, investors and corporations can still challenge basic worker and environmental protections while rules of origin are weaker than even the ones found in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and there are no provisions to bring currency manipulation under control.”

The IAM will immediately activate its grassroots network of political activists at more than 600 local and district locals across the U.S. to call on legislators to oppose this failed trade deal

United Steel Workers

The USW is unalterably opposed to the TPP because it’s a dagger twisting in the heart of American manufacturing. Even the Wall Street Journal predicted the deal would cause a massive trade deficit in manufacturing which would result in hundreds of thousands of job losses. This sector has yet to share broadly in the economic recovery and is shedding good, family supportive jobs at an ever-increasing pace.

The TPP provides incentives for U.S. companies to outsource production and offshore jobs – and that is far from the kind of trade policy America needs. The TPP may gain the United States brownie points with other countries, but at the cost of American economic strength and national security. 

In section after section, this proposed agreement compromises America’s economic future and inflicts enormous damage. Workers, like our members, have been on the losing end of trade agreements for far too long, and this deal fails to change that. That is because it does nothing to stop international rule breakers – and countries like China will once again be the winners.

Here are some problems in the TPP’s hundreds of pages of text, side agreements and sweetheart deals:

The TPP would dramatically increase job loss in our nation’s manufacturing sector.

1. The TPP’s rules of origin in autos and auto parts would allow China to provide a majority of a car’s parts.
2. The TPP would not stop currency manipulation.
3. The TPP would fail to stop state-owned enterprises (SOE’s) from receiving state support and protection, and the new chapter would create a legal quagmire.
4. The TPP would result in foreign workers continuing to suffer violations of their rights since protection provisions are still limited. The plan negotiated with Vietnam would allow this country to receive up to seven years of reduced tariff benefits while still violating worker and human rights. Negotiators failed to get Mexico to agree to specific and much-needed reforms in its labor laws. There is no formal plan to ensure that U.S. engagement and enforcement in this critical area would change at all.
5. The TPP would give foreign corporations greater substantive and procedural rights than domestic firms to challenge government policies intended to protect the public interest. Corporations may potentially receive taxpayer compensation under investor-state dispute (ISDS) resolution provisions when they challenge domestic laws.
6. Finally, the TPP would do nothing to ensure that any of the provisions would, in fact, be enforced.  

The TPP has been promoted as a 21st century trade agreement, but this free trade deal would take American workers backward, not forward.

Communications Workers of America President Chris Shelton

With the release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership texts, it’s finally time to learn whether the TPP is in fact nothing more than the latest in a long line of trade agreements negotiated by and for the 1 percent.

The Communications Workers of America, like many others, is reviewing the texts. But based on what we’ve already seen and learned about this deal, we’re not likely to change our position that this TPP is a disaster for working families and communities.

Even a cursory review demonstrates how this trade deal fails working families. It forces U.S. workers to compete with the 65-cent an hour wages of Vietnamese workers and the slave labor employed in Malaysia. It allows multinational corporations to challenge environmental, financial, consumer and other regulations through international tribunals — and outside the court systems of member countries. It pays lip service to addressing real concerns about currency manipulation that costs American jobs and leads to more jobs being sent offshore. And it allies the U.S. with countries that abuse their own citizens, including Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia.

For nearly six years, from the start of negotiations that were kept secret from the public but gave full access to 600 corporate lobbyists, we’ve known who will benefit from the TPP.

CWA and a broad coalition of environmental, consumer, faith, immigrant rights, student and many other groups will continue to organize and mobilize against this deal and to hold accountable members of Congress who have chosen to side with the 1 percent.

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