...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.”
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