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In addition, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka sent a letter to members of the Senate and the House expressing the Federation’s (and affiliates’) concerns, and President Loeb has asked that the letters be distributed to you for your information. The following is an excerpt from the letters:
Congress has now approved fast track authority, which will give the executive branch the opportunity to negotiate—in secret—as many trade agreements as it can through at least June 30, 2018 (and likely through 2021). Fast track 2015 fails to hold the executive branch accountable for achieving negotiating objectives, addressing the U.S. trade imbalance, or ensuring that trade deals adequately protect good jobs, workers’ rights, environmental protections, access to affordable medicines, food safety, and other vital protections for working families.
We will now redouble our efforts to shape and improve U.S. trade policy. We will vigorously oppose TPP if it continues on its current course – with problematic provisions on investor-state-dispute settlement, procurement and intellectual property rights; without any protections against currency manipulation; with weak rules of origin; and with inadequate protections for workers’ and human rights and the environment. We will continue to work closely with Congress and with our allies in the environmental, consumer, human rights, family farm, faith, development, domestic business, immigrants’, women’s and internet privacy rights organizations – among many others – to educate and mobilize our members and the American public about what a good trade policy ought to be and why this one falls short.
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