Category Archives: fair trade

2012 Election, Economy, fair trade, trade unions

Steelworkers Back Obama & Criticize Romney on ‘Playing By the Rules’ in Trade Deals

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USW Statement on Obama’s 2013 Trade Enforcement Budget

Pittsburgh (Feb. 12) – Leo W. Gerard, international president of the United Steelworkers (USW) issued the following statement today on hearing reports of President Obama’s budget proposal that’s going to Congress, asking millions for a new trade enforcement center and the resources to more effectively enforce U.S. trade laws:

“President Obama has acted to enforce America’s laws against unfair trade since coming to office and announced in his State of the Union address last month, a clear commitment to this effort.  The USW is especially pleased to know the President’s budget will be asking for millions of dollars to arm his new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC) with the resources needed to fight for American jobs.

“Too many American workers have had their jobs stolen from them by foreign unfair, predatory and illegal trade practices.  Many of our trade competitors agree to the rules, but then fail to abide by them. Enforcing our laws – and the commitments other countries have made – must be high priority. President Obama is devoting resources to accomplish that goal.

“Our union members work hard and play by the rules. We want a government that will stand up to foreign unfair trade for all American workers.  President Obama has demonstrated a willingness to do just that.

Continue reading Steelworkers Back Obama & Criticize Romney on ‘Playing By the Rules’ in Trade Deals →

Economy, fair trade, unemployment

Manufacturing Jobs: New Trade Deal Will Hit Us Hard

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supership

The 4th Congressional District of Pennsylvania Will Lose 7,623 Jobs If New Trade Deals Pass

4th CD Breakdown:

299   in Motor Vehicles & Parts

158  in Other Transport

812  in Electronics

4092 in Metal Product

2025 in Iron Metals

130  in textiles

116  in Apparel

Join the AFL-CIO National Call in to Congressman Altmire on Oct. 4th to stop the Korea Free Trade agreement.

The history of NAFTA shows that Pennsylvania and the 4th CD suffer from free trade deals. We need fair trade.

Pennsylvania lost 313,839 manufacturing jobs (or 35.8 percent) during the NAFTA-WTO period (1994-2010), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.* This figure is for total manufacturing employment, so it takes into account both jobs created by exports and jobs displaced by imports, among other causes of net job change.

The percentage of all private sector jobs that are manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania declined from 20.1 percent to 11.7 percent during the NAFTA-WTO period.
These are aggregate numbers, but the Department of Labor tracks instances of specific workers at specific workplaces who applied for special benefits for trade-displaced workers. In Pennsylvania, there are 149,519 such workers certified as having lost their job due to imports or offshoring under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. (Note: This program is difficult to qualify for, and this figure only includes those workers who were certified.)

The Economic Policy Institute found that 26,300 jobs have been lost or displaced in Pennsylvania – and over 680,000 in the United States – due to the rise in the trade deficit with Mexico alone since NAFTA was enacted in 1994.
The Economic Policy Institute also found that 95,700 jobs have been lost or displaced in Pennsylvania – and over two million in the United States – due to the rise in the trade deficit with China since it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

fair trade, labor

Vigil Against the Columbia Free Trade Agreement

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Sign in Colombia: ‘No to the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S.

Monday, July 11    12:00 noon

Congressman Jason Altmire’s Office

Aliquippa Office

2110 McLean Street

Aliquippa, PA 15001

Fifty-one union leaders were assassinated in Colombia last year — more than in the rest of the world combined.  At least 17 have been assassinated so far this year.

As the Colombia Free Trade Agreement races towards a vote in Congress, our elected officials will be forced to pick a side.  Will they stand with union members, small farmers, human rights advocates and others in the United States and Colombia who oppose the FTA?   Or will they stand with the transnational corporations who profit off the violent suppression of workers’ rights, the forced displacement of Afro-Colombians from their land and the dumping of subsidized agricultural commodities?

So far, Congressman Altmire is "undecided" on the Colombia FTA.  Our time to influence his vote is quickly running out.  Please join us as we hold vigil outside his office at noon on Monday, July 11th as part of a national day of action.  We’ll be reading the names of our murdered brothers and sisters in Colombia and other remembrances to the Congressman’s office.

Sponsored by: United Steelworkers and PA Fair Trade Coalition

Co-Sponsors: 4th CD Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America

RSVP at amy@citizenstrade.org