24 Senators Sign Letter Supporting Labor Rights, Opposing
Outsourcing in TPP
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
International Brotherhood of Teamsters led a coalition of fair
trade advocates in helping to gain support for a bipartisan letter
from Sen. Al Franken and 23 of his
colleagues to President Obama about trade policy. The letter,
released yesterday, expresses support for negotiating strengthened
labor rights and protections against outsourcing in the
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO )
"We need to get our trade policy right so that it keeps good
jobs in America and increases our exports," said Teamsters General
President Jim Hoffa.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a multilateral trade
agreement among countries that border the Pacific Ocean:
Australia, Chile, Peru,
Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, New
Zealand, the United States
and Vietnam. The 15th
round of negotiations are being held in Auckland, New Zealand, from Dec. 3-12.
"It should be crafted to maximize good job creation and market
expansion while minimizing the incentives for further off-shoring
of middle class jobs," the letter said.
The letter urged that the deal:
- Maintains "Buy American" requirements;
- Requires workers' rights to be protected and enforced;
- Includes safeguards against incentives for offshoring jobs and
currency manipulation;
- Sets out strong rules of origin for TPP members;
- Ensures that state-owned and state-supported enterprises
operate on a level playing field.
Teamsters General President Jim
Hoffa submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative
last month outlining the criteria needed for the Teamsters to
support the TPP.
The Teamsters are sending a representative to the New Zealand talks to present the letter along
with a strong message that Teamsters in Canada and the U.S. will not support a trade
deal that doesn't protect collective bargaining rights.
The 24 Senators who signed the bill are: Al Franken, D-Minn.; Sherrod
Brown, D-Ohio; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; Barbara
Boxer, D-Calif.;
Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Jeff
Merkley, D-Ore.;
Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.;
Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Richard
Blumenthal, D-Ct.;
Bob Casey, D-Pa.; Joe
Manchin, D-W.V.; Barbara
Mikulski, D-Md.;
Tom Udall, D-N.M.; Jon
Tester, D-Mont.;
Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Patrick
Leahy, D-Vt.; Bernie Sanders, D-Vt.; Amy
Klobuchar, D-Minn.;
Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V.;
Chris Coons, D-Del.; Olympia
Snowe, D-Me.; Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.; Jack
Reed, D-Mich.; Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout
the United States, Canada and Puerto
Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us
on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/teamsters.
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters