PAGE 14 | December 18, 2015 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
Labor trade panel tells Obama: TPP ‘severely undermines’ workers
By Mark Gruenberg
PAI Staff Writer
WASHINGTON, D.C. (PAI) —
A government-appointed trade
advisory panel of 19 union lead-
ers told President Barack Obama
that the proposed Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) “severely un-
dermines” U.S. jobs, workers,
consumers and businesses.
In a letter accompanying their
124-page report, the panel,
chaired by retiring Machinists
President Tom Buffenbarger,
said it believes the agreement
should not be submitted to Con-
gress or, if it is, it should be
quickly rejected.
“We believe the TPP is unbal-
anced in its provisions, skewing
benefits to economic elites
while leaving workers to bear
the brunt of the TPP’s down-
side,” says the report. “The TPP
is likely to harm the U.S. econ-
omy, cost jobs, and lower
wages.”
Copies of the letter went to
two top Obama officials: Labor
Secretary Thomas Perez and
U.S. Trade Representative
Michael Froman. Froman nego-
tiated the controversial pact.
Obama has yet to send it, or leg-
islation implementing the TPP,
to Congress.
Besides Buffenbarger, union
leaders signing the letter and re-
port included Steelworkers
President Leo Gerard, Team-
sters President Jim Hoffa, AF-
SCME President Lee Saunders,
AFL-CIO President Richard
Trumka and Secretary-Trea-
surer Liz Shuler, Teachers Pres-
ident Randi Weingarten, Service
Employees President Mary Kay
Henry, Union Label President
Rich Kline and United Auto
Workers (UAW) President Den-
nis Williams.
Unions and their allies have
launched a huge campaign to
get lawmakers to reject the TPP.
The Labor Advisory Commit-
tee, mandated by trade law, lays
out the anti-TPP case in de-
Merry Christmas
and a Prosperous 2016
to all!
tail. Among its findings:
▪ TPP will increase the U.S.
trade deficit, costing jobs. “Es-
pecially at risk are jobs and
wages in the auto, aerospace,
aluminum and steel, apparel and
textile, call center, and elec-
tronic and electrical machinery
industries,” the report says. The
TPP would increase the U.S.
trade deficit by $55.8 billion
over a decade, and cost 330,000
factory jobs. Worst hit would be
cars and parts. Steel runs a close
second.
▪ There are no rules against
TPP nations importing cars and
parts from other countries and
labeling them “TPP-compliant”
for shipment to the United
States. That means 55 percent of
a car could be TPP-made and
still labeled “domestic” and let
in for free. And Japan would get
a $1 billion yearly U.S. break
for its auto exports to the U.S.,
as tariffs disappear. In return it
would not have to cut its tariffs
and other barriers to U.S. cars or
its tariffs on U.S. farm goods.
▪ Corporations would get
“two bites at the apple” to try to
trash U.S. laws and regulations
that could harm present or fu-
ture profits. If they lose in the
U.S. court system, including the
Supreme Court, they could then
take their cases to the TPP-cre-
ated Investor-State Dispute Set-
tlement system. Unions and
their allies have noted that ISDS
is a secret pro-corporate trade
court whose decisions are final.
▪ Failure of a foreign firm to
pay taxes can disqualify it from
bidding on U.S. government
contracts under the TPP, but
failure to obey labor and envi-
ronmental standards cannot dis-
qualify it.
▪ The labor advisory panel
had 14 specific recommenda-
tions to strengthen the TPP’s la-
bor chapter, starting with requir-
ing TPP nations to sign on to –
and obey – International Labour
Organization core labor stan-
dards, such as the right to organ-
ize. Virtually all were ignored.
ONLINE EXTRA
See the complete report at
http://bit.ly/1Z8Y7i3
Cement Masons Local 555
Serving Oregon & SW Washington
from
AFT Local 111
M erry C hristmas!
from the officers and staff of
R OOFERS AND W ATERPROOFERS L OCAL 49
Ray Carpenter
Vice President-Executive Board
Darrell Hopkins, Sr.
Recording Secretary
Samantha Henson
Office Manager
Russ Garnett
Business Manager/
Financial Secretary
Travis Hopkins
President/Field Representative
James Hale
Warden-Executive Board
Executive Board
James Breneman
James Dittemore
Sean Maybee, Jason Barthel
AFT-OREGON · AFT · AFL-CIO
Merry
Christmas
Warm Wishes for a
Wonderful Holiday Season
and a very Happy New Year
from
IRONWORKERS
SHOPMEN’S LOCAL 516
