Teamsters Willing To Support Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement IF It Includes High Standards

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/13607

By Doug Cunningham

The Teamsters are willing to support a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement if it includes high standards including protecting labor rights. This is the first full expression of the Obama administrations trade policies. Teamsters’ Legislative Representative Michael Dolan says the eight countries of the TPP trade agreement should enforce the core labor standards in the International Labor Organization’s Conventions. They include freedom of association and collective bargaining. Elimination of forced and compulsory labor, an end to child labor, and elimination of discrimination in employment. The Teamsters say there must be punishments in the agreement when labor standards are violated. The union also says there should be a democracy clause requiring that nations that enter into trade agreements with the U.S. have democratic civil societies. The Teamsters say labor and human rights ought to have at least as much protected status as copyrights have in trade agreements. And the union says environmental standards along with the rights of the U.S. to maintain its own standards fire of control from foreign investors is essential. That includes the right to continue Buy America campaigns that invest in U.S. jobs creation.Teamsters President James Hoffa is on the U.S. Trade Representative’s advisory council and the Teamsters say as negotiations begin they weigh in on what a high standards trade agreement means.

[SocialistLez]

1. They should aim to set a minimum wage in these countries. NT