Message from the Teamsters Union. Snowden, TAFTA and workers

[Catherina]

Teamsters ‏@Teamsters 23m

Edward Snowden's spying leak is good news for TAFTA foes. http://www.teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/07/tafta-delay-good-for-workers.html … #TAFTA #fairtrade

https://twitter.com/Teamsters/status/353201450433773568

Friday, July 5, 2013
TAFTA delay good for workers

Allegations that the U.S. government spied on several European governments is putting a cramp in efforts to kick off negotiations of the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). Some EU officials have suggested that talks set to begin next week in Washington be postponed. That's good news for workers.

The French government is calling for a two-week delay in TAFTA discussions, while a German official suggested that citizens with privacy concerns should steer clear of U.S. Internet companies Google and Facebook. Their comments come after former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden accused the American government of intercepting communications with some EU diplomats.

For anyone concerned about the U.S. middle class and consumer safety, the postponement of talks would be a welcome respite. Those involved with TAFTA have done their best to keep discussion of the trade pact under wraps, much like what has been done for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But some details have emerged.

A recent Public Citizen blog, for instance, exposes that U.S. and European corporations want to use TAFTA to water down necessary agriculture, communications, energy production and financial safeguards. That has drawn criticism from consumer, environmental, health, farmer, labor and tech groups in both the EU and here:

The NSA’s overreaching national security agenda has jeopardized their overreaching corporate agenda to use TAFTA to roll back financial, climate and food safety standards that make doing business less convenient. If the two agendas would cancel each other out, perhaps we could get on with an agenda that’s actually supported by the public – from environmental stability to public health to personal privacy.

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http://www.teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/07/tafta-delay-good-for-workers.html