TPP: The vast majority of the recommendations made by organized labor were completely ignored

[Teamster Jeff]

A sampling of labor asks omitted from the TPP:

-To improve compliance and enforcability, define the core labor standards, e.g., by referring to ILO (International Labour Organization) Conventions

-To protect workers and raise wages, require that Parties not waive or derogate from
any of their labor laws (laws implementing either ILO Core Conventions or acceptable conditions of work)—regardless of whether the breach occurred inside or outside of a special zone

-To protect workers and raise wages, define “acceptable conditions of work” more broadly to include such concepts as payment of all wages and benefits legally owed and compensation in cases of occupational injuries and illnesses.

- To increase compliance with labor obligations, include commitments aimed at ensuring effective labor inspections

- To increase compliance with labor obligations, allow a petitioner to make a complaint based on a single egregious violation, rather than waiting for a “sustained or recurring course of action” to occur

- To ensure timely enforcement and reduce unwarranted delays, establish clear, universal timelines for consideration of labor complaints

- To reduce excessive discretion to ignore or delay labor complaints, require that a Party that has received a meritorious complaint will promptly and zealously pursue the case (to avoid years-long delays like those confronted in the Guatemala and Honduras cases)

-To help raise standards across the region, create an independent labor secretariat that researches emerging labor issues and reports on best practices and establish Trans-
Pacific works councils for firms operating in more than one TPP country

-To remove requirement that violations must be in a manner affecting trade or investment between the “parties”, which leaves out most public sector workers.

-To prevent abuse of vulnerable workers and a spiral to the bottom in wages and working conditions, ensure migrant workers receive the same rights and remedies as a country’s nationals

-To prevent human trafficking and forced labor, establish enforceable rules for international labor recruiters

Instead, the USTR made minor changes likely to have little impact

More: http://www.workinglife.org/2015/11/05/the-tpp-gets-more-stupid-blind-love-from-free-trade-nytimes-a-gift-to-status-quo-prez-candidate/

[daleanime]

1. Labor is only a resource to be exploited....

and of far lesser value then Money.

[99th_Monkey]

2. Why in the hell would ANY labor union ever endorse a candidate

who ever called this travesty a "gold standard" is beyond me.

[Teamster Jeff]

3. I think there is some cynical calculations going on by these Union leaders

Endorse the favored status quo candidate because:

A. If Bernie wins it will be positive for Organized Labor and all workers. They know he will have their best interests in mind regardless of who they endorsed.

B. If Hillary wins of course they will continue to be shit on and ignored but they will be invited to nice parties and Democrats will say nice things about them

[99th_Monkey]

4. Why, of course. What was I thinking?

It would be a crying shame if our labor leaders missed those posh parties.

never mind.

[SDjack]

5. It's up to non-union DEMs to save the union and non-union workforce. We can't do it alone.

We need union members to reject the endorsement by their leaders. This situation is pathetic.

[guillaumeb]

6. Money is free in free trade agreements. Workers not at all.

The only goal of free trade agreements is to facilitate the free movement of capital and lower labor standards. This deal that will be pushed by President Obama might just represent the "quo" in the quid pro quo that was Obama's funding sources.

Rhetoric aside, the bulk of Obama's money came from Wall Street. They expected something for all that money.