Growing Jobs, Not Our National Deficit
by Allie Petonic, Political Director
The need to end job-killing free trade agreements and close our national deficit is an issue our Union shares with all workers. A Union of workers in food retail and processing may not seem to be obvious partners against free trade, but make no mistake. We are in this together. When our federal legislators pass job-killing free trade agreements in manufacturing or other job sectors, our national deficit grows, and communities and school districts shrink in size from outsourced jobs. With shrinking communities on smaller budgets, demand for food and other retail goods shrinks as well.
In the last fifteen years, federal legislators passed trade deals riddled with giveaways to corporations. Trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) have outsourced jobs to countries where corporations turn even bigger profits by driving down worker pay and safety standards in a global race to the bottom. Corporate-friendly legislators are pushing another new trade agreement, expanding NAFTA to Colombia. This Colombian Free Trade Agreement provides incentives for corporations to outsource jobs in exchange for giveaways and protections for drug and oil companies.
Job-killing free trade agreements are also responsible for toxic toy imports. Seventy percent of goods from Wal-Mart come from China, and four toy suppliers to Wal-Mart issued major recalls of their toys in 2007 (source: walmartwatch.com). Some legislators have worked to do the right thing, trying to pass laws requiring that imported goods be scanned at our ports. Wal-Mart has lobbied Congress against scanning imported goods for toxic toys. This risks our national security and public health.
As voters and Union members, we must insist that all candidates and public officials take positions on trade agreements. Our Union's message to candidates is that trade agreements must be 'fair', by respecting wage, safety, environmental, and benefit standards of all workers. In other words, no trade agreement should be passed without countries paying fair wages and benefits to workers who are safe on the job, working in facilities that are environmentally sound. Fair trade agreements, not job-killing free trade agreements will create a rising tide that lifts all boats.
Two federal legislators in Local 1059's jurisdiction, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (Toledo) have worked to prevent President Bush's Colombian Free Trade Agreement. Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, candidate for U.S. House, joins them in opposition.
"This election is about either going forward by putting the right priorities first or going in reverse and championing the broken policies of the past that disregarded the middle class so the most privileged of our society could keep getting more and more," Kilroy said in a conversation. Our Union will look to candidates and public officials for a fair, new direction on trade agreements which will keep good-paying jobs in our communities and keep our communities intact.
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