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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2007)
...Labor hopes fast-track trade bills will be blocked (From Page 1) Campaign. “Many Democrats have come to recognize the agreements have not been good for American workers.” “We’re kind of holding our breath right now,” said Thea Lee, trade policy expert for the national AFL-CIO. For the first time in years, Lee senses that one or more of these treaties may fail to be ratified. Plus, the president’s ability to nego- tiate the treaties is up for debate. All the NAFTA-style agreements have been negotiated by presidents who were granted “fast-track” authority by Congress. Basically, Congress com- mits to vote trade treaties up or down without amendment two or three months after getting the text from the president. “Fast-track abdicates Congress’ constitutional responsibility to regulate foreign commerce,” Weiss said, “and gives the executive branch the power to dictate the terms of trade policy.” Presidents have argued that they can’t get trading partners to make con- cessions on complicated agreements like these if the agreements can later be modified by Congress. But in prac- tice, “fast-track” has given presidents free rein to leave out binding commit- ments on workers’ rights or environ- mental protections. NAFTA-style treaties contain hundreds of pages of guarantees for foreign investors and tariff-enforceable trademark, copyright and patent monopolies, but only the flimsiest pledges on workers’ rights or the environment. Generally, the treaties say the countries agree to enforce their own labor and environmental laws, whatever they may be at a particular time. If they fail to do so, theoretically they would pay a fine to themselves to fund enforcement of the un-enforced laws. The current fast-track authorization expires June 30. It would have to be re- newed in order for President Bush to negotiate further treaties. But Weiss thinks it may not even get a vote. New York Democrat Charles Rangel now chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, where trade bills originate. Rangel voted for about half the trade agreements, but voted against NAFTA, CAFTA, and fast- track in the past. On March 27, Rangel spelled out his approach to trade pol- icy, saying future trade agreements must include enforceable commit- ments to internationally recognized la- bor standards. But it’s not clear how Rangel will approach the already-ne- gotiated treaties. Oregon Third District U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer also now serves on Ways and Means, and its Trade Subcommittee. Blumenauer has a history of support for NAFTA-style treaties, but voted against CAFTA and the 2006 treaty with Oman. If they pass the committee, trade-related bills go to the House floor, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will determine if they get a vote. Pelosi voted for four NAFTA-style treaties, but against fast- APRIL 20. 2007 track and the CAFTA and Oman treaties. In the Senate, the bills must first go through the Finance Committee, which is now chaired by Montana De- mocrat Max Baucus. Baucus voted for NAFTA and every one of its follow- ups, but came out against CAFTA. Ron Wyden and Oregon Republican Gordon Smith are also on Senate Fi- nance. Smith has voted for every NAFTA-style treaty to come before Congress; Wyden voted for every one except Chile and Singapore. After the Finance Committee, trade bills must get a vote in the full Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid holds sway. Reid has voted against NAFTA and every subsequent trade treaty. So critics of the treaties will have multiple opportunities to stop them from passing this year. Last month, the AFL-CIO Execu- tive Council approved an all-out drive to stop President Bush’s renew “fast- track” trade authority. In Portland, Machinists District Lodge 24 Business Representative Joe Kear says the Freightliner decision to shift production to Mexico didn’t have to happen. “We need to look at the conse- quences of these trade deals,” Kear said. “The trade deals we have are specifically designed to move our jobs someplace else.” )DWDO)DOO$OHUW *UDYLW \.LOOV ,Q\HDUV2UHJRQZRUNHUVGLHGLQIDOOV5LVN LQFUHDVHVJUHDWO\RYHUDJHDQGDJDLQRYHUDJH )DOOKD]DUGVDUHHYHU\ZKHUH)DOOVIURPODGGHUVDUH 3OHDVHREVHUYHWKHIROORZLQJVDIHW\WLSV 5HFRPPHQGDWLRQV 0DNHVXUHODGGHULVLQJRRGFRQGLWLRQEDVH DQGORFNVDUHVHFXUH6HWEDVHZRUNLQJ OHQJWKIURPZDOOVXSSRUWHGDWWRSE\ERWK UDLOVH[WHQGLQJIWDERYHGLVPRXQWOHYHO 7KUHHSRLQWUXOH*HWD¿UPJULSZLWKWKUHH RIIRXUOLPEVHVSHFLDOO\LQLF\FRQGLWLRQV %HZDUHORVLQJ\RXUEDODQFHIURPWKH XQH[SHFWHGUHOHDVHRIDZHLJKW\RXDUH FDUU\LQJRUSXOOLQJRUIURPRYHUUHDFKLQJ )DWDO6WRULHV /$''(56 6WRUHODGGHU $IHPDOHUHWDLOFOHUNIHOOIURPWKHVL[WKVWHSRIDVWHSODGGHU LQDFRPSDQ\VWRUHURRPDQGGLHGGD\VODWHU6KHVXVWDLQHGDIUDFWXUHWR WKHOHIWNQHHDQGIHPXU7KHFOHUNZDVDGPLWWHGWRDORFDOKRVSLWDOZKHUH VKHGHYHORSHGVHSVLV 0XFKPRUH6HH2UHJRQ26+$¶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¶VKHOSHUGLHGZKHQKHIHOOWKURXJKDVN\OLJKWWRD FRQFUHWHÀRRUIWEHORZ7KHZRUNHUZDVDVVLVWLQJKLVIDWKHUDURR¿QJ FRQWUDFWRUUHSDLUZDWHUOHDNVRQWKHÀDWURRIRIDFRPPHUFLDOZDUHKRXVH &OHDULQJXSIRUWKHGD\WKHZRUNHUZDVEDFNLQJXSZLWKDWRUFKKRVHZKHQ 5RRIH[LW $VFKRROFXVWRGLDQGLHGDIWHUIDOOLQJDERXWIWIURPDODGGHU +HXVHGDIXOO\H[WHQGHGH[WHQVLRQODGGHUWRDFFHVVDURRIWRUHWULHYH EDOOV7KHVSULQJORDGHGORFNVZHUHQRWVHWSURSHUO\ZKLFKDOORZHGWKH FXVWRGLDQWRFOLPEWKHODGGHUVXFFHVVIXOO\EXWWKHODGGHUFROODSVHGZKHQ KHSXWKLVZHLJKWRQLWWRUHWXUQWRWKHJURXQG ,QVXODWHGKROH $MRXUQH\PDQURRIHUGLHGDIWHUIDOOLQJWKURXJKDFRYHUHG KROHIWRQWRDFRQFUHWHÀRRUGXULQJDZDUHKRXVHUHURR¿QJSURMHFW7KH URRIHUVUHPRYHGDIDQDQGFRYHUHGWKHKROHZLWKDVTXDUHRILQVXODWLRQ XQVHFXUHGDQGXQPDUNHG:HDULQJVXQJODVVHVWKHURRIHUZDONHGDFURVV WKHURRINLFNHGORRVHWKHLQVXODWLRQRYHUWKHKROHDQGIHOOWKURXJKLW (/(9$7('/('*( /RDGLQJKROHJDWH $IHPDOH¿VKSURFHVVRUZDVNLOOHGDIWHUIDOOLQJIW WKURXJKDORDGLQJKROHRQDVHFRQGÀRRUVWRUDJHDUHD7KHRSHQLQJZDV GHVLJQHGIRUXVHE\DIRUNOLIWWKUHHVLGHVFORVHGE\¿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ÀRRUIURPDFURVVEHDP RIDQHOHYDWHGFRQYH\RUDWDVDQGDQGJUDYHORSHUDWLRQDQGGLHGWKHQH[W GD\7KHPLQHUDQGWZRFRZRUNHUVZHUHLQVWDOOLQJDQHZFRQYH\RUEHOW 7KHPLQHUZDVVWDQGLQJRQDFURVVEHDPSXOOLQJRQDURSHWLHGWRWKHQHZ EHOW7KHURSHXQH[SHFWHGO\FDPHORRVHFDXVLQJKLPWRIDOO S 0 3 '"$ & 3/($6(3267 KHVWHSSHGRUWULSSHGLQWRWKHVN\OLJKW 75,36$1'27+(5)$//6 7ULSIUDFWXUH $Q\HDUROGSDZQEURNHUWULSSHGRYHU DEDJRQWKHÀRRURIKLVVKRSDQGIUDFWXUHGKLVKLS7KH YLFWLPGLHGIURPFRPSOLFDWLRQVLQWKHKRVSLWDOGD\V ODWHU 2UHJRQ)DWDOLW\$VVHVVPHQWDQG&RQWURO(YDOXDWLRQ ZZZRKVXHGXFURHWIDFH NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 7
