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Free Trade Policy Has Failed

by International Brotherhood of Teamsters - 03/07/07 3:16 PM ET

The free trade model of the past is failed policy.

The only way to help restore the American Dream for workers in this rapidly changing global economy is through a fair trade model that works for America’s workers, government and businesses alike in the 21st century.

NAFTA did not deliver as promised – instead it prompted the loss of millions of good jobs at home, a surge in undocumented immigration, the soaring trade deficit, declining wages, and a deterioration of labor standards.

The leadership of Change to Win, a coalition of seven unions representing six million members in key service sector industries, yesterday called for an immediate end for the executive branch’s “fast track authority.” We must put a hold on new unfair trade deals so Congress can help create standards that will stimulate development and maintain high wage standards around the globe. That requires an outright rejection of Columbia, Peru, Panama and South Korea trade deals as they currently stand.

The full resolution is available on the Change to Win web site here.

This is not simply about protecting American jobs – it’s about promoting prosperity at home and abroad.

A new generation of trade policies that will protect the environment and raise labor standards will help ensure that workers, not just corporations and CEOs, can share in the benefits of today’s global economy.