Major unions stepping up battle against free-trade pact

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

BY TOM RAUM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The AFL-CIO union says it and its affiliated unions are freezing political contributions to federal candidates "until further notice" to channel funds into the labor's intensifying battle to stop or at least help shape a proposed free-trade agreement being negotiated by the U.S. and other nations that border the Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the Teamsters union called for U.S. negotiators on the trade pact to press for a crackdown on Mexican cross-border trucking as part of the emerging agreement.

Both unions have been critical of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership. The unions are battling legislation now being considered by Congress to give the negotiations a "fast track" to passage in the House and Senate.

Such a trade shortcut has been used before, notably in the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNIONS_TRADE_FIGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[antigop]

1. YES!!!! nt

[Faux pas]

2. Kickin'

[Populist_Prole]

3. Good! I'm sick of labor being taken for granted

Tired of labor being valued only at election times and given lip service in nice speeches.

I hope the end result of contribution freezes are a wake-up call to the pols, but alas, this could just as well be the tipping point where the neoliberals and 3rd-wayers officially come out as anti-labor.

Maybe that's a good thing though too; flush out the money changers and make it obvious enough to the apathetic.

[FBaggins]

4. I've learned this week that there's nothing that they can do to stop it.

So what if Congress can be convinced to oppose it? The president need only change from an executive congressional agreement to an executive agreement and most of the objectionable parts of the plan are in like Flynn... and Clinton/Warren/Sanders can't change it later even if they want to.

Who knew that Presidents were so powerful?

[Populist_Prole]

6. Yeah, TPTB get what they want, one way or another

"Fast Track", "executive agreement", it's all the same thing. The debate/vote is just theater. The damage will be done, and so this is why you hear so many giving tacit support of TPP with the knowledge it will be bad, but could hopefully be salvaged somehow by hoping for provisions that mitigate the damage.

It can't be stopped; the only positive I see is the party's leadership's loyalty is being laid more bare. Going forward it'll make the discussion so many try to stop from happening happen: control and direction of the party. Populists vs corporatists.

[Android3.14]

5. Now this is what a union should be doing

Go for it.

[djean111]

7. "Free trade" sounds great, right! Just like the Kochs' "Americans for Prosperity".

Misnomers. Neither one has been good for the USA.

[Populist_Prole]

8. Exactly! Just another insidiously specious term

"Freedom"

"Heritage"

"Patriot"

"Enterprise"

All nice sounding fronts for bad groups.

"Right to Work" is another insidious term.

[appalachiablue]

15. 'Prosperity Christians' is another; 'Healthy Poverty' is the newest absurdity & oxymoron.

[awoke_in_2003]

12. Patriot Act...

whenever I hear a name for any bill, I automatically assume it to be sarcastic in nature.

[lewebley3]

9. I think the message against TPPI: Should be we will not Surrender USA sovereignty to TPPi!

Others

No to TPPi: No to other countries controlling American Land
and lives!!

Americans own American, not TPPI: or : American will not surrender is Land People to foreign governments.

No such thing as free trade, Americans will never trade America to the fascist businessmen.

Most American , don't like outsider coming and pushing them around, even the people Red state
dont' like that. This might bring a few of them on board, especial the people
who fought the XL

[ibewlu606]

10. Kicked!

I have been advocating for a long time for unions to hold our so-called "Democratic friends" accountable on how they vote. Not one more dime of our members hard earned money to finance some turn coat, blue dog politician so they can screw us over after they get into office. Republicans will do that for free.

[colsohlibgal]

11. Great News, All Hands On Deck

As I just typed here elsewhere, Obama has sent out an email today calling this trade agreement the most progressive in history. So he's out of the closet and up front selling this snake oil and selling us down the river.

[hollowdweller]

13. So if this is stopped it will be a huge signal to the ruling class.

But it will need some US politicians to fight too.

[appalachiablue]

14. The impacts of the secretly arranged TPP trade agreement from 2005 under Bush are vast and the

end of the declining US middle class. European workers are protesting the T-TIP part which could make them a 'colony of the US'. Good for the AFL-CIO and affiliate unions. Trumka has also let Hillary Clinton know that the same Treasury financial team will not be supported by labor in 2016.

[Michigan-Arizona]

16. K&R n/t