American families have long suffered the consequences of bad trade deals negotiated behind closed doors. We lived the failures of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) when we saw good union jobs shipped overseas. The solution isn’t less trade, but better rules—rules that put America’s working families first.
For over two decades we have demanded NAFTA be renegotiated, but a
new multi-million dollar campaign led by the Chamber of Commerce and
other industry leaders threaten to write vital worker protections out of
the plan once again. We must tell Congress there should be no vote
until the agreement includes better wages, creates and secures jobs,
protects our environment, and safeguards our democracy.
CALL 1-855-856-7545 AND TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: NO VOTE UNTIL NAFTA IS FIXED
- The current text provides more promises than it does concrete solutions. While there are some improvements to the original labor and environmental rules, and new ideas to boost U.S. content in traded goods, these modest changes aren’t enough to ensure working families will benefit.
- The deal lacks effective provisions to reduce outsourcing in such key sectors as autos, aerospace, processed meat and foods, and call centers. Outsourcing remains a key concern for America’s working families. In a recent example, at the start of February, GM began laying off the first half of an announced layoff of 8,000 U.S. employees—and it has announced the closure of two assembly plants and two transmission plants in the United States and one in Canada, even as it expands operations in Mexico.
- Some of the revised deal’s rules are even worse than the current NAFTA, including monopoly rights for pharmaceutical corporations that will keep drug prices sky high, and new rules that will undermine public interest protections, such as those that keep workers safe on the job.
- Rather than accepting that this is the best the three countries can do, we’re urging the parties to go back to the table to fight for an ironclad agreement that working people can endorse and be proud of. That means an agreement that raises wages, protects workers and grows our economy.
- Working people bear the burden of the continuing failures of NAFTA and its impact on our jobs, our environment, our communities and our democracy. We know the solution isn’t less trade, but better rules—rules that put families and communities first. That has been our goal since day one, and our standard to support any new deal.
Congress should not put the new NAFTA to a vote until working people and our needs have been prioritized in the agreement. There should be no vote on the NAFTA until it has been fixed and working people and our jobs have been secured. That means an agreement that raises wages, created and secures jobs, protects our environment and safeguards our democracy. For more information including a petition to tell Congress NO VOTE UNTIL NAFTA IS FIXED please visit the AFL-CIO’s page on Trade.
To download a flyer please click HERE.