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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2015)
SERVING ORGANIZED LABOR IN OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON SINCE 1900 NORTHWEST INSIDE LABOR PRESS Wyden trying to pull a fast one on fast track KGW protest 2 Labor candidates 3 Union meetings 6 Free classifieds 10 VOLUME 116, NUMBER 9 PORTLAND, OREGON By Don McIntosh Associate Editor U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore- gon) announced agreement with Republican leaders April 16 over the terms of a “fast track” bill introduced in the Senate and House. The bill would make it easier to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a NAFTA- style trade deal that the Obama Administration has been negoti- ating in secret with representa- tives from 11 other Pacific Rim nations. In a press statement, Wyden said the bill creates “unprece- dented transparency in trade ne- gotiations, and ensures future trade deals break new ground to promote human rights, improve labor conditions, and safeguard the environment.” But a line-by-line analysis shows Wyden’s statement to be false. Wyden’s bill is almost identical to a fast track bill from the year before. The only differ- ences are that the Wyden bill: • Adds the word “account- M AY 19 E LECTION Endorsements of the N ORTHWEST O REGON L ABOR C OUNCIL CLACKAMAS COUNTY Measure 3-466 (Clackamas Fire District Local Option Levy) Support HILLSBORO SCHOOL BOARD Position 5: L ISA A LLEN Position 7: J AIME R ODRIGUEZ ability” to the name of the act; • Establishes the position of “chief transparency officer” to advise about “transparency;” • Gives Congressional staff “with the proper security clear- ances,” the right to see (but not take pictures of) negotiating texts; • Requires the president to publish the agreement online 60 days before formally signing it; and • Creates a narrow escape hatch to revoke fast track con- sideration: Agreements won’t be subject to the fast track rules if the House or Senate vote to de- clare that the president has failed to notify or consult Congress on trade negotiations—but they can only do that if the House Ways and Means Committee, or the Senate Finance Committee first do so. In other respects, the Wyden bill is the same as previous fast track bills—Congress has to fin- ish voting on a trade agreement MAY 1, 2015 90 days after the president sends it to them, and can’t amend it in any way. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to “regulate commerce with for- eign nations.” Through fast track, Congress abdicates that power, giving it to the president. In theory, the fast track bills in- struct the president what to bar- gain for with other nations. In fact, Obama has been negotiat- ing the TPP since he took office in 2009, so any fast track provi- sions telling the president what to bargain for can’t be taken se- riously, since they’re coming af- ter the fact. With fast track, what’s really at stake is an agreement, the TPP, written substantially by and for U.S. corporations, which would obligate Pacific Rim countries to expand patent, trademark and copyright mo- nopolies, and give foreign in- vestors the right to sue govern- ments for passing laws that reduce profits. That’s a conclu- sion based on texts leaked to Wikileaks. Under the fast track bill, the final text of the secret agreement won’t be known until the deal is signed and sent to Congress for its rubber stamp. On April 22, six days after Wyden’s bill was announced, the Senate version, S. 995, passed the Senate Finance Committee 20-6. It was supported by Wyden, Maria Cantwell of Washington, and five other De- mocrats, and all but one Repub- lican. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Rob Portman (R- Ohio) tried to amend the bill to require the White House to in- clude enforceable currency ma- nipulation provisions in interna- tional trade agreements, but that failed 11-15, with Cantwell and four other Democrats joining 10 Republicans in voting against it. The following day, the House version, H.R. 1890 passed the Ways and Means Committee Turn to Page 11 MULTNOMAH EDUCATION SERVICE DISTRICT Position 6, at-large: S TEPHEN B EAUDOIN Position 7: S IOBHAN B URKE PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE Board of Directors, Zone 3: M ICHAEL S ONNLEITNER PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS Board of Directors, Zone 3: B OBBIE R EGAN PORT OF ST. HELENS Position 2: R OBERT K EYSER Position 3: C OLLEEN D E S HAZER Position 4: M IKE A VENT REYNOLDS SCHOOL DISTRICT Measure 26-164 (Bond to replace and upgrade schools) Support WEST LINN Mayor: T HOMAS F RANK Authorized and paid for by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, 9955 SE Washington, St., Suite 305, Portland, OR 97216 SAYING NO TO FAST TRACK. Protesters received a police escort through the streets of downtown Portland April 18 for a “No Fast Track” rally and march sponsored by the Oregon AFL-CIO. Approximately 500 people participated. Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden recently brokered a “fast track” deal with Republican leadership in the Senate. Fast-track, or Trade Promotion Authority, will allow President Obama to rush the secretly nego- tiated Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement through Congress, with little time for meaningful discussion and no possibility for amendments or changes, and only an up or down vote. Labor unions, environmental groups, and others are upset that Wyden, a Democrat, helped deliver the “undemocratic” fast track bill. They also are calling on Oregon’s Congressional delegation to oppose it.
