Big trouble ahead with trade deal
Posted on 04/22/15 by Amelia Hayes in Work & Wages
The TPP stands for the Trans Pacific Partnership, a deal that is being negotiated between 12 countries, including the United States. If you’re worried about what NAFTA has done to the United States, you should be especially worried about the TPP. The deal would expand NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), which would make it the largest free-trade agreement in history. Last week, Congress introduced a TPP Fast Track bill that is concerning.
The TPP will have a huge effect on the offshoring of U.S. service and manufacturing jobs. According to the Economic Policy Institute, under NAFTA the nation lost nearly 700,000 jobs by 2010. Tariff cuts continuously result in trade deficits and a loss of jobs. Our safety regulations on food safety and labeling could be threatened by the TPP. These regulations can be subject to challenge by foreign TPP partners. For example, the TPP could reduce or even eliminate trade hurdles on imports of seafood, which already have an inadequate federal inspection process according to the Center For Food Safety. Wages and collective bargaining could be in major trouble since we’d be competing against countries such as Vietnam that have a minimum wage of 28 cents. So basically, it’s another way to make life harder for working people, not only nationally but also globally.
Oh, and if you missed it, Senator Elizabeth Warren and President Obama disagree on the TPP. You can read Senator Warren’s blog post here.
If you want to learn more or get involved with organizations fighting to stop the TPP Fast Track legislation, there is a meeting tomorrow (April 23) at 6 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Click here for details.