FTAA
and 'Fast Track'
FINAL
UPDATE,
DECEMBER 7, 2001:
House
Passes Fast Track
Chris
Townsend,
UE Political Action Director
[Jump
to: Background]
Despite all honest efforts, the U.S. House of Representatives voted
yesterday (12/6/2001) at 4:35pm EST to pass "fast track/trade promotion
authority (HR3005)". The vote was 215 for, 214 against. I spent most
of the day in the House office buildings, and was with the labor delegation on the front steps when the vote total as announced. The
margin of victory for the bosses appears to have come from as many as 21
Democrats who voted for the bill. The Corporate and Bush regime
corrupt-athon was in over-drive all week long.
•
How
Your Representative Voted
...
Sincere thanks go out to all the decent, hardworking UE members and
staff who worked hard to defend our jobs from the "fast track" danger.
We told the truth. We conducted good, honest, rank-and-file political
action. We promoted our position based on what is good for all working
people. We mobilized others to take an active part in what's left of our democratic system. We did what we could do, but we were up against
an enemy that has resources that far exceed ours, and an enemy that
engages in outright bribery to accomplish its greedy goals. We were also
sold out by any number of House members who traded their votes for promises from Corporate America and the Bush regime.
For those who want more information on how and why this outrage against
regular working people could take place, please read the recent Capitol Hill Shop Steward
article that exposes the role of the Democratic Leadership Council
(DLC) within the Democratic Party.
Thanks again to all who fought back against this corporate attack. Our
loss yesterday was not a defeat, it was one contest in a long war between big
business and working people.
How
It Happened
Just in case you needed a little extra motivation to go out and find an
organizing drive in honor of "fast track", here goes ...
As reported by the Wall Street Journal (Dec.7, 2001, page A3), the
last-minute wheeling and dealing on the floor of the House of
Representatives was quite a spectacle. Not surprisingly, the Wall
Street Journal is quite happy with the passage of "fast track", since
they are the leading newspaper for bosses, management generally, and the
rich.
The Wall Street Journal gives the final blow-by-blow; "House votes
customarily run 15 minutes; this one took 38. With five minutes to go,
the vote stood at 215 against, and 210 for the measure. Toward the end,
Democrats started chanting "Regular Order!" in a bid for Republicans to
close the vote. Running on fumes, GOP (Republican) leaders went to, of
all places, the heavily protectionist textile states for their last needed votes.
... House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, Majority Leader Richard Armey of Texas, and Whip Tom DeLay of Texas signed a
letter promising South Carolina Republican Jim DeMint additional protection for textile dyeing and finishing companies. Mr. DeMint then
switched his "no" vote to "yes." Next, three Republican fence-sitters
voted "yes", and the vote was tied.
Finally, a visibly shaken North Carolina Rep. Robin Hayes (R), who had publicly announced his opposition
but withheld his vote until the last minute, punched yes. At 4:38, about 10 seconds after they received the 215-214 majority, Illinois
Republican Ray LaHood pounded the gavel closing the vote... In addition
to special protection for textiles, Bush officials promised lawmakers special deals on everything from oranges to protein milk concentrate in
order to get the vote...
There you go, straight from the Wall Street
Journal. All of this last-minute corruption was just the final chapter in an entire saga of
vote buying by the forces pushing "fast track." And in an almost comic
commentary on the value of all the promises made by the Bush regime, it
was revealed today that former President Clinton did not take a public
role in pushing "fast track", in large part because he failed two times
to win passage of the bill in the 1990's. The Clinton failure was linked to massive promises made to members of Congress to win their
votes for NAFTA passage in 1993, promises that were by-and-large never
kept.
WORKING PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER THAN TO HAVE THEIR JOBS AND LIVES TRADED
ON THE FLOOR OF CONGRESS IN A CORRUPT VOTE BUY-AND-SELL-ATHON. LET'S FIND A GROUP OF WORKERS WHO WANT TO JOIN UE, IN HONOR OF "FAST
TRACK." LET'S GO!
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UPDATE,
DECEMBER 4, 2001
Chris
Townsend,
UE Political Action Director
[Jump
to: Background]
No less a source than anti-labor commentator Robert Novak admitted
this morning (Monday, Dec. 3rd) that the Republican majority in the
House of Representatives lacks the votes to pass "fast
track/trade promotion authority (HR3005)." Appearing on the
C-SPAN morning show, Novak admitted that, "Right now, they don't
have the votes." The vote is still scheduled for this Thursday,
December 6th, in the House of Representatives.
Now is the time to buckle down, make your final calls
and send you final emails. Now is the time to recruit a co-worker and
a fiend to do the same. Do it Right Now!
Call 800-393-1082 or 888-832-4246 to be connected to
your House member. Tell them to vote "NO" on HR3005, the
"fast track/trade promotion authority" scheme. E-mails for
House members may be found at <www.house.gov>. Let them have it
in writing!
If your House member is opposed to "Fast
Track," demand that they do something right away to organize
against it. Telling us that they are "with us" and that they
are going to "vote against it" is not good enough. We need
leadership and action!
TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT! But it will not
happen unless we all pile on at this critical moment!
Congratulations to all the UE local leaders, members, and staff who
are knocking themselves out sending messages and making phone calls.
It has been a while since our union has been carried on this amount of
rank-and-file activity to fight undemocratic legislation. We just need
to keep it going until Thursday!
I have personally visited Capitol Hill multiple times
over the past weeks, and want everyone to know that our work is paying
off. This issue is a political hot-foot for many House members and
they realize that "fast track" has no public support except
for big business. BUT... that being said, I must tell you that those
of us opposing "fast track" here in Washington, D.C. are
outnumbered at least 100 to 1. Bosses, corporate lobbyists, Republican
operatives, and every anti-labor outfit in town are swarming Congress
and Capitol Hill like the army of rodents that they are. Only a final
home-stretch dose of rank-and-file political action will bring victory
over this corporate corrupt-athon! Let's go!
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UPDATE,
NOVEMBER 28, 2001
[Jump
to: Background]
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the job-killing "Fast Track/Trade Promotion Authority" (HR3005) bill on Thursday,
December 6th. As of today, the Republican leadership does not have the
votes. But they are working overtime to bribe various members of Congress to support this scheme. As you read this, big business is
swarming Capitol Hill; deals are be made; lunches and dinners are being
bought; Corporate America is promising that the "fast track" scheme is
the way to "export our economy out of the recession"; and Corporate America is also reminding members of Congress that next year is an
election year, and they will need lots of campaign cash. You get the picture.
HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO ...
-
Call your member of Congress at (800)393-1082 or (888)832-4246 and
tell them to vote "NO" on "Fast Track/Trade Promotion Authority" (HR3005).
-
Send your member of Congress an e-mail — find e-mail addresses at
the House of Representatives’
website or, very quickly, at the Electronic
Activist.
-
Between now and December 6th, recruit one co-worker per day to do the
same.
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UPDATE,
NOVEMBER 26, 2001
[Jump
to: Background]
At the urging of Big Business, Republican leaders in the U.S.
House have finally set a date for a vote on "Fast Track/Trade
Promotion Authority (HR 3005)." The vote is now set for Thursday,
December 6th. Big Business has made it clear that it wants a vote
and has told the House Leadership to stop stalling. We can expect
business and its lobbyists to throw everything they have at getting
this anti-democratic measure passed. If approved, this measure would
give President Bush the power to negotiate job-killing trade deals and
then ram them through Congress with no amendments and almost no
debate.
WHAT TO DO: From
now through December 6th, we urge UE members to call, email, and fax
their Representatives. Three phone numbers now may be used, including
the two that we have previously listed: (800) 393-1082 or (202)
224-3121. A third toll-free number has been put into use by the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce (888) 832-4246 (feel free to use this number
— it won’t hurt to run up their phone bill!).
Email addresses for your House member may be obtained
at the House of Representatives’
website or, very quickly, at the Electronic
Activist. Regular U.S. mail is not advised, due to an ongoing mail
embargo because of the anthrax attack. Letters or petitions should be
faxed. Fax numbers may be obtained by calling the lawmaker's office
and asking for it (fax numbers are also listed on the Electronic
Activist website).
To help encourage friends and co-workers to call,
print and distribute our on-line flier.
House Members Who Need
And Deserve Special UE Attention
-
Rep. Ron Kind, western Wisconsin
-
Rep. Leonard Boswell, southern Iowa
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Rep. Steven LaTourette, north east Ohio
-
Rep. Phil English, north west Pennsylvania
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Rep. Pat Toomey, Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania
-
Rep. John Sweeney, eastern upstate New York
-
Rep. Bob Etheridge
-
Rep. David Price, Raleigh/Durham metro North
Carolina
Let's send them the message to vote "NO" on
HR 3005! If your member of Congress is opposed to HR 3005, ask them
"What specific things are you going to do to organize opposition
to HR3005?" Nobody should be left off the hook.
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to: Background
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UPDATE,
NOVEMBER 14, 2001
The agony of "fast track/trade promotion
authority (HR3005)" continues.
Leaks from inside the Republican leadership now
indicate that they have about 185 votes for "fast track" as
of Tuesday, November 13th. They will not proceed to a vote unless they
are confident that they have at least 220 solid votes. The
self-imposed Republican "deadline" for a vote came and went
on Friday, November 13th (the had hoped to have "Trade Promotion
Authority" in hand in time for the World Trade Organization (WTO)
meeting in Qatar).
Although it is frustrating that this battle seems to
have no clear showdown in sight, it is clear that if we are able to
push "fast track" back until after Thanksgiving, Congress
will likely put off dealing with it until at least February. Our
strategy is to make this happen: push U.S. House consideration of this
anti-worker legislation back until February and then keep pushing it
back during the spring. Once we get into May and June Cogress will be
reluctant to handle such a hot potato because of the approaching
election in November, 2002.
Keep the calls, e-mails and faxes pouring in: they’re
working! Keep letting your Representatives know you’re watching ...
and you’re opposed to giving President Bush "Trade Promotion
Authority ("Fast Track")" The specific bill is HR3005.
To reach your member of the House of Representatives
call (800)393-1082 or (202)224-3121. To e-mail your Representative,
find their address at www.house.gov. Fax numbers for short
letters or messages may be obtained by first calling their office.
If you are not tired of calling and emailing by now
— it’s because you haven’t done it (or enough of it!). Here’s
how it works: pick up the phone, dial it, tell hem who you are and
tell them to "Oppose Fast Track". That’s it — all that’s
left is to hang up. Email is even easier. Repeat as needed. If you
have done your share, then it’s time to lean on others to get into
the battle. Take them by the hand if you have to!
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UPDATE,
NOVEMBER 6, 2001
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! Keep the calls and e-mails flowing. Rep. Thomas, the sponsor of the
latest "Fast Track/Trade Promotion Authority" Bill (HR3005) will be
working with the Republican leadership to see if he can force a vote by
next Wednesday, November 7. He has to catch a plane that night for Doha, Qatar, the scene of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) meeting from November 9 to 11.
Attendance at the WTO meeting is falling faster than a lead balloon, as business and government types have second
thoughts on a free trip to the war zone. The WTO meeting was deliberately staged in Qatar, where no public protest is permitted and
the meeting can proceed unmolested by citizen input or annoying media coverage.
Let's mount another call and e-mail blitz (e-mails can be found at <www.house.gov> and the phone
number is (800)393-1082.) Tell your Representative to VOTE "NO" ON "FAST TRACK" HR3005.
It might help to remind Representatives that our unemployment rate just took the
biggest jump up in twenty years... and it's only one year to election day, 2002.
For more information, visit www.epinet.org, where you
can look at the new blockbuster report "Fast Track to Lost Jobs".
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UPDATE,
OCTOBER 23rd, 2001
With Congress set to reconvene today, the possibility
of a vote on "Trade Promotion Authority" (Fast Track) could
once again come anytime. But with office buildings closed in
Washington, your best bet is still to contact your legislator's local
offices directly, or call 800-393-1082.
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UPDATE,
OCTOBER 18th, 2001
The U.S. House adjourned Tuesday afternoon (10/17/01)
as security personnel began sweeping offices and the House chamber for
anthrax. The House, at this moment, is scheduled to reconvene next
Tuesday, October 23rd. Exactly what will happen next week is unclear,
but it's very possible that "Trade Promotion Authority"
("Fast Track" Authorization) will reach the floor for a
vote.
Since many House members have returned home, this is a
good opportunity to contact their local offices by phone or email.
Most members of Congress have e-mail addressed at home as well as in
Washington. Visit www.house.gov to
obtain their home office telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
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UPDATE,
OCTOBER 10th, 2001
House Ways and Means Committee approved the Thomas
Bill (Trade Promotion Authority) on a 26-13 vote October 9th. This
clears the way for a full vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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UPDATE,
OCTOBER 3rd, 2001
URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO STOP "FAST TRACK"! Believe it or not, the
Republican Congressional leadership is pushing
"Fast Track/Trade Promotion Authority" through Congress attached
to "War on Terrorism" legislation stemming from the terror attacks of September 11th. A vote
could come at any day. Phone calls and messages are urgently needed RIGHT NOW! See
our on-line flyer for details on how you and your
co-workers can get busy to stop this disgraceful scheme.
DETAILS:
In the wake of the tragic attacks of September 11th, Republicans in Congress and the Bush Administration are using the
"war on terrorism" to pass Fast Track (Trade Promotion Authority) legislation to move ahead their free trade agenda.
The Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Bill Thomas (R-CA) wants to jump start Fast Track trade
legislation in the House. On September 25th Thomas released a summary of a proposal for Fast Track entitled "a Bipartisan Compromise". This proposal is
basically the same right wing bill (HR2149) introduced in the late spring by Rep. Phil Crane (R-IL). In a "compromise", the Thomas legislation (HR3005)
offers watered down language on protecting workers' rights and the environment in any attempt to win over the support of Democrats.
Thomas' bill will be marked up (voted on in committee) in the Ways and Means Committee on Friday, October 5th and a vote is expected in the full House the week of October 8th.
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UPDATE,
SEPTEMBER 10th, 2001
Expect Fast Track to be
"back on track" any day, now that Congress is back in
session. Below is what's happened so far and we'll keep you posted
about developments this fall.
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to: Background
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UPDATE,
AUGUST 1st, 2001
House Republicans conceded temporary
defeat on July 31st, giving up on their attempts to win the "Fast
Track" authority sought by President Bush before the August
Congressional recess. The House GOP leadership conceded they didn't
have enough votes to bring the 'Fast Track' bill (HR2149,
also referred to as "Trade Promotion Authority") to a vote
before Congress recesses on August 3rd. "Fast Track" authorization
would give Bush broad power to negotiate the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA),
a much-expanded, hemispheric version of NAFTA (described below),
and then ram it through Congress with no amendments and almost no
debate. Unfortunately, the battle is far from over.
The Bush administration and the GOP leadership will be
back with a vengeance in September — and will use the break to
intensely lobby House members, along with the big business lobby which
is also in high gear. Keep checking our main UE
Political Action page for developments. Meanwhile, let's make this
a recess House members will never forget. They'll be home from August
3rd to Labor Day. Call, write and meet with them to keep the pressure
on! Here's how ...
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UPDATE,
SUMMER 2001
The battle to stop passage of
both the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) and ‘Fast Track’
has entered a dangerous phase. The push for ‘Fast Track’ (HR2149,
also referred to as "Trade Promotion Authority") is now in
high gear (see our on-line Political Action leaflet). Action to
derail ‘Fast Track’ is needed NOW!
The Bush Administration is also
moving quietly ahead with FTAA (see: UE
News - FTAA Spells Seriously Bad News for Jobs and Democracy),
just releasing the skeleton of the text of the actual agreement.
Movement of an FTAA bill is at least 18 to 24 months down the road,
although it is important to let lawmakers know that this kind of
legislation must be stopped — especially by refusing to give
President Bush the 'Fast Track Authority' that he needs now.
BACKGROUND
U.S. trade policies have been a disaster for working
people. Many thousands of UE members have felt the sting of job loss
due to these failed policies.
Millions of good manufacturing jobs have
been lost over the past 30 years, with entire industries moved
offshore to countries that condone and even encourage the mass use of
sweatshop labor. Products from these sweatshops are imported into the
United States for sale at current prices. Big business has pocketed an
unbelievable fortune by using government trade policies as a
wage-reducing tool, and working people all over the world have
suffered as a result. The U.S. trade deficit has zoomed as a
consequence of this failed strategy, reaching a record-breaking $370
billion for the year 2000 alone.
In the wake of NAFTA and GATT, the latest scheme to
create a hemispheric free trade zone is the "Free Trade Area of
the Americas" (FTAA). The FTAA is being negotiated in secret.
Proceeding side-by-side with the FTAA is a revived effort, led by the
Bush Administration, to renew "Fast Track" authority. This
undemocratic legislation would allow Bush to ram the final FTAA deal
through the U.S. Congress with virtually no debate and no amendments.
Hemispheric leaders, meeting in Quebec during the
weekend of April 21, 2001, gave their approval to FTAA — despite the
fact that the full proposal is still contained in secret documents
that are not available, even to members of Congress. Each country must
now give approval FTAA, with the aim of having it go into effect
throughout the Americas in 2005.
CURRENT STATUS
Both the FTAA and "Fast Track" are expected
to start moving through Congress any day now, with the support of
Bush, most Republicans, and a significant number of Democrats. Big
business lobbyists are pushing hard for both bills.
Both schemes have
the support of President Bush. Stopping the FTAA and "Fast
Track" is most likely going to happen in the House of
Representatives, due to the corporate stranglehold on the Senate. The
House vote on both measures will be tantamount to success or failure.
UE POSITION
Our union strongly opposes both the FTAA deal and the
"Fast Track" tool. The U.S. manufacturing base — and
millions of working families who depend on it for a living — has
been severely eroded by these kinds of corporate schemes. Rather than
continue to pass corporate trade deals motivated exclusively by a lust
for even more profit, Congress should impose a moratorium on new trade
deals until it accounts for the damage already done. Following that, a
new international trade policy that looks toward raising economic,
social, labor, and environmental standards here at home and around the
world must be initiated.
TALKING POINTS
-
Why is the FTAA deal being negotiated in secret?
And why should any legislation be rammed through Congress on a
"fast track"? How are we to know whether or not U.S.
trade negotiators are giving away our jobs as part of some trade
deal?
-
Why are tens of thousands of working people,
family farmers, students, and environmental activists converging
on Quebec City, Quebec, Canada in late April to protest the secret
FTAA negotiations if this is such a great deal? Why did 50,000
people take to the streets in Seattle in November 1999 to protest
the World Trade Organization? And hundreds of thousands more who
have participated in dozens of other protests aimed at the free
trade race to the bottom? Where are the massive crowds
demonstrating their support for these schemes?
-
More than 600,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs have
been destroyed just since the passage of NAFTA in 1993. And over
the course of 2000, the U.S. trade deficit hit an all-time high of
nearly $370 billion. This means that our country purchased $370
billion more products from our trading partners than what we sold
to them! The trade deficit has grown to such gigantic proportions
that even Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan has pointed to it
as a dangerous development that must be corrected.
-
Entire U.S. industries have been sent overseas.
Take, for example, shoes, clothing assembly, toys, electronics,
and whole sections of the auto, steel, electrical, machine tool,
and other assembly industries. Even the high-tech sector is
leaving to take advantage of low wages elsewhere. Computer
programing and software development is routinely done overseas,
beamed in by satellite to U.S. customers. Imported food products
also flood our grocery stores. Recently the Defense Department
discovered that certain weapons systems in the new Army battle
tank were lacking key components only manufactured overseas. Does
the U.S. Congress realize — or even care — about what is going
on here?
-
In April 1999, delegates to the UE Political
Action Conference asked 66 members of Congress one simple
trade-related question: "Can you give us the name and address
of at least one new factory in your state or congressional
district that was built because of the passage of the North
American Free Trade Agreement in 1993?" Out of 66 questioned,
only one could provide a verifiable, concrete "yes"
answer. One member of Congress from Iowa reported on 18 new jobs
in Iowa due to increased soybean exports related to NAFTA. That
was it.
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Undemocratic practices like fast track have led to
a wholesale corruption in the halls of Congress. Corporate America
dumped tens of millions of dollars into the pockets of politicians
from both major parties to win passage of NAFTA. Then-President
Clinton squandered millions of taxpayer dollars in his ultimately
successful effort to bribe enough members of Congress to win the
close NAFTA vote in 1993. It worked; Clinton enjoyed the support
of big business for his entire eight years in the White House, and
more than 600,000 working people lost good jobs.
-
Living standards and working conditions have
stagnated or fallen in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as a
consequence of NAFTA passage.
-
U.S. workers are expected to "compete"
with the working people of low-wage countries such as Mexico and
China. Wages in both countries range between a few cents per hour
to as high as two dollars per hour. This being the case, should
members of the U.S. Congress compare their pay scales to the
members of the Mexican parliament or the Chinese government?
-
With our planet already showing the environmental
strains of runaway development and the accelerating consumption of
every natural resource, isn’t it time to take a breath and think
about a rational plan that would raise living standards and
preserve the quality of life here on earth for everyone?
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