CAFTA re-cap from Finance Committee

[kerrygoddess]

With No Provisions for Worker’s Rights, CAFTA Moves a Step Ahead
15 June 2005



Opposition to CAFTA must continue to speak out regardless of today’s push by the Senate Finance Committee to move the CAFTA bill to the Senate floor. The final vote to move the bill to the floor was 11-9. John Kerry voted no. There were four cross-over votes: Wyden(D) and Lincoln(D) voted yes. Snowe(R) and Crapo(R) voted no.

The Kerry amendment, reported here earlier today, received a 10-10 vote with Olympia Snowe crossing over to vote for it. The tie vote took it off the table in committee.

AP News reported, “Kerry’s proposal on labor law enforcement drew opposition from Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Peter Allgeier.”

He told the panel that the agreement already has strong labor provisions that require countries to abide by their own laws, and that the Kerry amendment would force the negotiations to be reopened, something that the administration was not prepared to do.

Allgeier said the administration was amenable to side agreements under which the United States might increase financial or technical support to help the Central American nations improve their labor standards.

Contrary to what Allgeier stated today, A Kerry spokesperson explained to me that the Kerry “amendment does not write new labor standards. It only requires that the existing standards already agreed to by the CAFTA countries be enforced the same way the provisions the Administration negotiated to protect corporations are enforceable. It's very common-sense.”

The point that Kerry was making in his amendment was that the labor standards in these countries must be enforced. Under CAFTA’s current version, the rules on worker’s rights will not be enforced by the same standards as other provisions in the agreement will be enforced. There will be more protection for corporations than workers. This is another step backwards for trade agreements under the Bush administration, who is more interested in aiding corporations than ensuring human rights and helping struggling countries overcome poverty.

MORE & Links - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=1084

[TayTay]

1. The Globe Editorial Board "Atta Boy" to Kerry

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2005/06/15/the_value_of_cafta/

Many Democrats object to the labor provisions of CAFTA because the agreement commits the signatories to follow their own labor laws rather than the standards of the International Labor Organization. While the laws in Central America do not follow the standards in every particular, they still are comprehensive. The key issue isn't so much changing the laws as making sure they are enforced.

At the Finance Committee session yesterday, Kerry offered an amendment that would toughen the labor standards without mandating absolute adherence to the ILO standards. The amendment failed on a tie vote, 10-10. Kerry should offer it on the floor, and, in the interest of broad-based support for free trade, the administration should encourage Republican senators to support it.

CAFTA represents the best hope for the six nations to find a place in the US market before their struggling industries are swept aside by China and other larger, cheaper producers. Congress, and the administration, should give them a chance to compete

[kerrygoddess]

2. Thanks Tay Tay

I'll follow up to see if he will offer it to the floor. I would assume he will.