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USW International President Leo W. Gerard and progressive talk show host Leslie Marshall this week discussed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its potentially disastrous consequences for American workers.
Negotiations on the TPP, a massive international trade agreement between the U.S. and eleven other Pacific-rim countries, concluded earlier this month. Congress must now decide whether to approve the treaty, which prioritizes large-scale international investors over domestic jobs.
“This is just a bad deal,” said Gerard. “It doesn’t deserve to be put in front of the Congress, and if it is put in front of the Congress, it deserves to be defeated soundly.”
Past trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement are known to have cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs, especially in manufacturing. The TPP, which in many ways mirrors these agreements, appears to be poised to do the same on a larger scale.
“These deals aren’t trade deals,” said Gerard. “These deals are investment deals for Wall Street and multi-national corporations.”
Workers need to come together and tell Congress to vote no on the TPP, Gerard said.
“We need to mobilize the Democratic Party and we need to go out and find Republicans that understand that truly, America is giving up its sovereignty,” said Gerard. “The average American is ahead of the political establishment on this. They know.
To hear the discussion, click on the audio link below.
Background Materials:
TPP is another bad trade deal that should not even be presented to Congress for consideration
TPP Rule Of Origin Is 45% For Vehicles, With Caveats; 35-45% For Auto Parts
Currency manipulation remains a big problem insufficiently addressed by the TPP
Because this issue is not addressed, Ford Motors flat-out rejects TPP
Currency manipulation prevent the creation of good-paying American jobs
Ten things we don’t know about TPP
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