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What's Up with NAFTA, Anyway? Some Frequently Asked Questions What's Up with NAFTA, Anyway? Some Frequently Asked Questions I’ve been getting so many questions about NAFTA, I thought I’d answer a few for everyone. Why are they renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement? I thought NAFTA was bad. NAFTA is bad. But the reason NAFTA is bad is not because trade is bad, or even that trading with Mexico and Canada is bad. NAFTA is bad because it is a set of rules that gives advantages to employers over workers, multinational companies over local firms, and giant corporations over communities. It has cost jobs and pushed down wages in all three countries. In particular, NAFTA set up incentives to outsource U.S. jobs (by lowering tariffs on imports from Mexico) without requiring firms that operate there to meet basic international labor standards or minimum protections for the environment. It also incentivized additional outsourcing by creating a private justice system for firms that allows them to bypass local courts and go straight to international tribunals to argue that some health and safety standard or water protection rule or any other action by a host government deprives them of their expected profits. NAFTA’s rules empower global employers, undermine unions, and weaken the ability of local, state and federal governments to be responsive to citizens. NAFTA does not have to be this way. Its rules can be changed to put working people first. And that requires renegotiation. I heard they’re finished renegotiating NAFTA. Are they? Not really. On Aug. 31, the president sent notice to Congress that he had concluded negotiations with Mexico and intended to sign a deal with Mexico in 90 days (this waiting period is required by the Fast Track law). Canada was not included in this announcement, but can be included in a final deal "if it is willing." Since talks are ongoing with Canada, and Mexico would have to agree to any changes made to accommodate Canada, the renegotiations aren’t really over. That means we have a chance to improve its labor rules and add other things important to workers, such as COOL labeling. So, is Canada in or out? The talks are ongoing. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and others have made clear Canada should be included, but whether it will be remains to be determined. (Watch a video here.) Does Congress have to vote on a new NAFTA? Yes. When will Congress vote? It seems likely that, assuming a final-final deal is reached this fall, the vote would occur in 2019. Will the AFL-CIO support the new deal? That depends on what the new deal looks like and how close it comes to meeting the 17 benchmarks we set out in June 2017. We don’t expect a new deal to be perfect or to incorporate every one of our recommendations. However, it must include Canada, show meaningful progress on critical issues, including by reducing incentives to outsource, protecting fundamental labor rights and freedoms for working people in all three countries, eliminating the private justice system for foreign investors known as ISDS, promoting greater North American content—particularly U.S. content—in NAFTA-traded goods, and by strengthening enforcement, not just on labor, but on all trade issues, including currency manipulation and misalignment. On labor in particular, if the deal does not include strong and clear rules that protect working people in all three countries and require Mexico to abandon its "protection contract" system (which keeps wages down and interferes with the right to join unions), and if we cannot be confident that the rules will be swiftly and certainly enforced, it won’t be worth endorsing. A deal that doesn’t get the labor provisions and enforcement tools right won’t protect U.S., Mexican or Canadian workers and won’t reduce outsourcing. A deal that allows abuse and exploitation of working people to continue is just another corporate deal. So...where is the text? Most of the text is available to "cleared advisers" (which includes the AFL-CIO) now. Trumka, and officers of both affiliate and non-affiliate unions who serve as cleared advisers are studying the text right now. Unfortunately, due to the secrecy allowed under Fast Track, the text won’t be available to the public until after Sept. 27, 2018. Do we know what it is in it? A bit, but most of the contents are still secret. We know the labor rules are on the right track, but they do not yet include swift and certain enforcement mechanisms. We know there will be changes to ISDS that appear to be in the right direction and changes to medicine rules that appear to be in the wrong direction. And we need to learn a lot more about automobile rules of origin to figure out if they will actually promote high wage U.S. jobs. Look for more information after Sept. 27 at aflcio.org. When will we know if the deal meets our standards? Trumka and other labor leaders said on Aug. 31 that, based on what we know so far, "more work needs to be done" for the deal to meet our standards, including, most importantly, enforcement tools that will ensure that all parties live up to their labor obligations and that Mexico ends it repressive protection contract system. But, since talks are continuing, that means we have an opportunity to get that work done. This is not over and the text isn’t really final. That’s where you come in. We need your help. How can I help? You can call or email your senator and tell them to contact U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (the U.S. lead on the NAFTA talks) to make clear that in order to get approval in Congress, the new deal must:
- Include strong and clear labor standards based on the International Labor Organization’s fundamental labor rights and end the protection contract system in Mexico.
- Include enforcement tools that will make certain that violations are swiftly identified and fixed—or else sanctions will be promptly imposed.
- Eliminate ISDS (the private justice system for foreign investors) and other incentives to outsource (including in both manufacturing sectors such as auto, aerospace, steel and aluminum and in services sectors such transportation and call centers); and
- Put working people’s interests ahead of profits, including by eliminating giveaways to Wall Street and Big Pharma and ensuring that we can protect our food supply and provide consumers the information they want about the products they buy.
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Not OK: The Working People Weekly List Not OK: The Working People Weekly List AFL-CIO Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s this week’s Working People Weekly List. Work Without Pay Is Not OK: "Beginning next year, Congress will finally start paying its interns!" Trumka Says Climate Change Battle Must Include Workers: "The labor movement must be included in initiatives to fight climate change, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said Sept. 12. Workers are prepared to sacrifice, 'but we will not bear the cost of climate change alone,' Trumka said at a conference at the University of California at Berkeley Labor Center. 'The most equitable way to address climate change is for labor to be at the center of the solution.'" Trump Fails to Make Inroads with Organized Labor Despite Populist Message to Working Class: "Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, labor's umbrella organization, has gone to the White House several times and served on the president's jobs council for several months. He resigned last year, along with corporate representatives on the council, after Trump failed to forcefully denounce white nationalists who rallied violently in Charlottesville, Va. 'When he was elected, I said I would call balls and strikes,' Trumka said in a Fox News interview just before Labor Day. 'When he did something that was good for workers, we'd support him. When he did something that was bad for workers, we would oppose him. Unfortunately, to date the things that he's done to hurt workers outpace what he's done to help workers,' Trumka said." Union Leaders Move to Keep Kavanaugh from Supreme Court: "As Judge Brett Kavanaugh faces Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court, organized labor is unveiling a playbook that may look familiar to Washington Republicans. 'We intend to make it the same thing as repealing Obamacare, Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, told Politico in the latest Women Rule podcast. 'We are going to organize the three votes that are required to block this nomination.' Another labor leader, Liz Shuler, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, echoed Henry’s protest against Kavanaugh during the podcast: 'We cannot let this court continue to swing to the extreme right. It’s out of step with what America believes.'" Women Rule Podcast: 'I Didn’t Challenge Sexism at Every Turn': "Labor union leaders Liz Shuler and Mary Kay Henry discuss how they rose up through the union ranks and what they’re trying to do to increase the number of women in the labor movement. Shuler, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, and Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, also weigh in on recent Supreme Court decisions, Brett Kavanaugh's nomination, and what that all means for the future of the labor movement." Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Bill Nelson: "This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida." Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Kyrsten Sinema: "This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Rep. Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona, who is running for U.S. Senate." The Union Difference Is Even More Pronounced for Families of Color: "A new report from the Center for American Progress shows that union membership helps increase wealth and prosperity for families of color. The research comes on top of recent polls showing that more and more people are embracing the powerful benefits of collective bargaining." Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Andrew Gillum: "This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum." Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 09/17/2018 - 09:30 — Sep 17
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AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler on Women Rule Podcast AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler on Women Rule Podcast AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler joined SEIU President Mary Kay Henry for a conversation with Politico's Anna Palmer on the newest edition of the Women Rule podcast. Shuler discussed the surging wave of collective action, the state of the labor movement and her groundbreaking path to becoming the highest-ranking woman in the history of the AFL-CIO. Listen to the episode here, and check out some of Shuler's highlights below. On the future of the labor movement: "I think we're at a moment. Yes, people want to write the labor movement's obituary. But, with the rise in collective action that we've been seeing, I think it's signaling something: that people want to come together. They want to fight back. Unions are the best way to do that....The bottom line is that we make change when we speak up together....The labor movement's needed now more than ever, and I think it's an opportunity for collective action and collective voice to grow." On Brett Kavanaugh: "We're working with allies and partner organizations to say enough is enough. We can not let this court continue to swing to the extreme right. It's out of step with what America believes. We're seeing this moment of collective action, where people are starting to rise up....We're going to continue to organize workers, focus on the grassroots, focus on our communities. And we think that we can put up a fight like you've never seen, because that's what we do best in the labor movement." On getting involved in the labor movement: "I worked at Portland General Electric, the same utility that my dad worked at and my mom worked at, through summers in college. So all of that came together when the clerical workers decided to try to organize at PGE. I was thinking, I know these women. I want to be a part of this. And the local union needed organizers. And it was an all-male local. And so, they said, hey, we could use somebody like you. And that was kind of how my activism was born."On being the only woman in the room: "I was the only woman on staff at the local, and we didn't have many women members. And, yes, you did find yourself kind of in a lonely place, most often. But I think it really did bring a different perspective, often, to the conversations....People talk about women's leadership style being very different. More collaborative. More listening takes place, and you can actually sometimes de-escalate situations when there's a lot of testosterone in a room, so I did find myself often playing that role." On building the next generation of labor leadership: "I've been thinking a lot about that, because often we emulate the mentors or the leaders we study under, and I see it in our next generation. Next Up is our young worker program, and a lot of the young men, for example, who are studying under male leaders tend to start to morph into that leadership style if you're not raising awareness and, as Mary Kay said, fighting these systems and deep cultural traditions that we've had. I focused a lot of attention and energy around the next generation of leadership. How do we cast our net and open our doors as wide as ever, and especially for young women?"On union members running for office: "The AFL-CIO has really prioritized union members being primed and ready to go to take on this moment, because there's something in the air. People are ready to rise up, and there's a moment of collective action unlike we've seen....So, how do we capitalize on that? And how do we make the change that we need with policies and our economy? Well, it's to elect union members to office. They're the perfect candidates because they have a lived experience that they can bring to the table. Especially women, we're seeing in bigger numbers than ever before running for all levels of government."On combating sexual harassment: "Most women have dealt with some form of sexual harassment throughout their careers. And the AFL-CIO takes it incredibly seriously. And we've been actually out fighting against sexual harassment in the workplace—sexual assault in the workplace—since our inception, because, through collective bargaining, that's where you'll find language in your contracts for a process in how to remedy when things go wrong—how to have some form of enforcement if the bosses aren't actually coming to your assistance. The AFL-CIO, both as an institution and how we run our own organization, as well as how we're leading in the workplace through our individual union affiliates, has been on record opposing this issue forever. But I think the key here is cultural change. And this is a moment where women are starting to feel safer coming forward because we're all standing up together. And collective action, as I said, is the key."On defeating 'right to work' in Missouri: "The vote in Missouri was nothing short of inspiring....The labor movement was more unified than I'd ever seen it. It was laser-focused on defeating the initiative. So it brought people together in a way that I haven't seen in a long time. And secondly, the way the community rallied around the labor movement, because they realized that if 'right to work' were to pass in Missouri, wages would go down for everyone. So to see folks in the small business community responding—working people who don't have a union know that this is going to impact them, too. That's why I think you saw the big number—the big defeat—because everyone knew exactly what was going to happen in that state. Wages would go down. Safety protections would go down. Opportunities and job growth would be sacrificed." Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 09/14/2018 - 09:07 — Sep 14
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Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Bill Nelson Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Bill Nelson AFL-CIO This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. Here are some of the key reasons why Nelson is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
- He has led efforts to expand Florida's investment in STEM skills and training that helps workers keep up with advances in technology and automation.
- Nelson supports tax credits for working people looking to change careers or transition into new industries.
- He supports education-related tax breaks that help prepare students for industries that need more skilled workers.
- Nelson supports increasing the minimum wage.
- Nelson is leading the push to invest in the infrastructure necessary to protect Florida's coastlines against rising sea levels and damage from hurricanes.
- He co-authored the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, which is designed to improve gender, racial and socioeconomic diversity in the federal workforce and in the science, technology, engineering and math education.
- Nelson supports career and technical training and job readiness programs.
- He is leading the charge to reduce student loan debt.
- Nelson has long been a supporter of public higher education and has helped obtain funding for key programs and facilities in Florida's public colleges and universities.
- He supports increasing funding for public education and improving pay for teachers and other crucial staff, including secretaries, bus drivers, cafeteria and maintenance workers, janitors, counselors and teachers’ aides.
- Nelson is a champion of fighting against companies using the personal data of working people for profit or in violation of privacy rules.
- He is working to protect consumers from companies that hide information about flaws and safety defects.
- Nelson has spent much of his career fighting back against cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
- He is leading the fight in Congress to lower prescription drug costs and eliminate the Medicare Part D donut hole.
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Work Without Pay Is Not OK Work Without Pay Is Not OK AFL-CIO Beginning next year, Congress will finally start paying its interns! For years, people who want to help build a better America by working in Congress have been offered "jobs" with no pay—as congressional interns. These internships are coveted because they help open doors to prestigious scholarships and graduate schools, and they help young people get started on careers in law, politics, diplomacy, business and many other fields. But think about it. Who can afford to take a nonpaying job? Not me. And certainly not most people who come from a working-class background. I was lucky enough to have my first congressional job come with a paycheck. Otherwise, I’d have had to turn it down. So who can afford to take these jobs, and all the doors they open? Often, it’s the very folks who already have lots of economic advantages. If you’re lucky enough to come from a family who can afford to pay your Washington, D.C., living expenses for a summer or semester or even a whole year while you learn how Congress works and rub elbows with this country’s current and future power players, that’s awesome! But having lots of money is not a valid way to choose congressional aides. And, think about how that skews the policies that come out of Washington. What if there is a vote coming up on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, and no one in the office can speak to how the program helped keep their family in their home when mom was between jobs? Or no one to say they could not have afforded college without a Pell Grant? Or to explain why having the freedom to join a union can mean better health care and an annual family vacation for millions of America’s families? In the end, working in a congressional office isn’t just a learning experience for the intern—it provides valuable input into the decisions that senators and representatives make. And it is important that elected officials interact with people from all walks of life, not just D.C. elites. Congressional internships should be open to all—not just to those who can afford it. Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), a supporter of this provision, explained to The Hill: "By providing this dedicated funding to help House offices pay their interns, we are moving to level the playing field and provide opportunities for young Americans who may not otherwise have the financial means necessary to dedicate a full semester or summer to an unpaid internship." We’re glad Congress has decided to pay its interns and encourage all U.S. employers to follow suit. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 09/13/2018 - 11:03 — Sep 13