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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 2014)
NAFTA: 20-year legacy of middle-class harm class did not happen by accident — By CASSANDRA WATERS WASHINGTON, D.C. — Twenty they are the result of the NAFTA model, years later and what have we learned a model that deals with broad economic from the North American Free Trade governance issues, including invest- ment, intellectual property, consumer Agreement (NAFTA)? Nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs have been and environmental protections, labor rights — issues not in- lost or displaced, union den- herently trade-related. sity in the United States, Flat wages and NAFTA made it easier Mexico and Canada fell and and less risky for com- income inequality has in- an eroding panies to move opera- creased. The AFL-CIO’s new middle class tions where the cost of report, NAFTA at 20, dis- did not happen labor was cheapest, cusses how current U.S. trade but contained no ef- policy has failed to raise by accident — fective mechanism to wages, improve social stan- they are the ensure labor rights or dards or address inequality result of the environmental protec- — and what needs to change tions were enforced. to ensure that future trade NAFTA model. The model’s dereg- agreements actually work for ulatory agenda limits government’s working people. NAFTA was sold to the public as a ability to act in the public interest. For way to promote equitable growth, but example, procurement provisions pre- as the report details, NAFTA-style trade vent governments from including re- deals benefit corporations at the ex- quirements that companies contribute to pense of workers, farmers, consumers local development or respect funda- mental human rights in contracts, limit and communities. Wages in all three countries are stag- equitable access to public services and nant. Productivity has increased, but the raise the price of medicines through share going to workers has decreased. stringent intellectual property protec- Union density has declined, and precar- tions. Meanwhile, investors were given un- ious work without stable hours or bene- fits is on the rise. The overall volume of precedented privileges and protections, trade between the three countries has which have been replicated in later trade grown, but these gains are concentrated agreements. Along with various dereg- at the top, not distributed across society. ulatory guarantees, multinational cor- porations obtained sweeping property Instead, inequality has skyrocketed. Flat wages and an eroding middle rights and a unique — and uniquely ...Football players can unionize (From Page 1) But Ohr said the players satisfied key legal points: That the employer pays them for their work, and the employer profits from it. His ruling also gives an idea of the scope of big-time college athletics. Northwestern, which is known for its academics, gave full-ride scholarships to 85 of the 131 football team members, and each scholarship is worth $61,000 yearly. In return, the uni- versity earned more than $30 million during the football season and cleared a profit on football of approximately $9 million, Ohr said. Northwestern tried several argu- ments to convince Ohr the football players can’t unionize. He bought none of them. When it argued the players’ prime purpose is to attend class, Ohr retorted they spent more hours a week on foot- ball, and that the employer could arbi- trarily fire them by yanking their schol- arships. The university argued the players are temps, whose scholarships last at most five years. It compared them to part-time student janitors at a San Francisco art school several years ago. Ohr replied the janitors — whom the Board did not allow to unionize — had high turnover due to the fact that their prime mission was studying art. And Northwestern said players are like resident assistants and teaching as- sistants at private colleges. The NLRB PAGE 2 dangerous — way of enforcing them: Investor to State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). ISDS allows foreign investors to directly sue national governments over policies they think threaten their bottom line. Instead of domestic courts, claims go before secretive international tribunals that can award unlimited tax- payer money but are unaccountable to the public. Multinationals have used these quasi-courts, which are usually composed of the same trade lawyers that bring these claims on behalf of companies, to challenge numerous reg- ulations in the public interest. The report highlights the need for a trade model that promotes shared pros- perity. Unfortunately, current U.S. trade ne- gotiations on two agreements — the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which involve 39 countries in Asia, the Americas and Europe — seem to only offer more of the same. The lack of transparency around the ne- gotiations means the exact content of the proposed agreements remains un- known, preventing public debate and scrutiny. But leaked documents indicate that the agreements contain the same flawed provisions, and then some. Draft text expands areas like intellectual prop- erty rights and opens up new sectors, in- cluding financial regulation, which could imperil the government’s ability to react to and prevent economic crises. Workers live in a globalized econ- omy, and now more than ever global rules to protect people and the planet are necessary. The NAFTA model does has gone back and forth on whether RAs and TAs are employees and thus can unionize. “Unlike the graduate assistants, the facts here show the employer never of- fers a scholarship to a prospective stu- dent unless they intend to provide an athletic service to the employer. In fact, the players can have their scholarships immediately canceled if they voluntar- ily withdraw from the football team,” Ohr replied. “Given the substantial length of the players’ employment it is clear they cannot be found to be temporary em- ployees,” Ohr said. CAPA President Ramogi Huma said the NCAA invented the term ‘stu- dent athlete’ to prevent the exact ruling that was made. For 60 years, people have bought into their notion that they are students only. The reality is, players are employees and this ruling confirms that.” CAPA organized the players around several key issues, notably job-related injuries. It says it would bargain for guaranteed medical coverage for injury expenses and post-injury treatment, as well as injury prevention measures. It also plans to bargain over establishing trust funds to help former players pay tuition and expenses to complete their degrees after their scholarships end. not deliver on the things people need — quality employment, enhanced social mobility and shared prosperity. It’s time for a new approach. (Editor’s Note: This report is from the national AFL-CIO.) Floppy disk petition urges Sen. Wyden to oppose outdated trade policy Fair trade advocates delivered over 10,000 petition signatures adhered to old- fashioned 5.25” floppy diskettes to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden’s office in Portland’s Lloyd District on March 20. The petition, spearheaded by the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign and Fight for the Future, urges the senator to oppose the renewal of 1970s-era “fast track” legislation on the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). Wyden recently became chair of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and will determine whether or not the expired fast track process is resurrected. Similar actions were held throughout the week at the senator’s offices in Bend, Eugene, LaGrande, Medford and Salem. “Sen. Wyden has been outspoken about the need for greater public participation in trade policy-making, and with his new role as Senate Finance Chair, he’s finally in a position to do something about it,” said Elizabeth Swager of the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign. “This petition encourages the senator to stay true to his democratic principles and to stand up for ordinary Americans.” Social Security Disability benefits: You paid into the system while you worked and if you can't work anymore, it's time to obtain them. (Editor’s Note: Press Associates Inc. contributed to this report.) NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS APRIL 4, 2014
