Unions laud Senate vote against fast track

Unions are applauding the U.S. Senate vote against granting President Obama the authority to “fast track” free trade deals, but say the outcome was a temporary victory.

On Tuesday, legislation authorizing fast track for international trade deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership got only 52 votes in the Senate, eight short of the 60 needed to overcome a possible filibuster and bring the legislation to the floor. Minnesota’s two Senators – Democrats Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar – were among the 48 senators who halted progress of the bill.

National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called the action “good news for America’s working families, domestic producers and communities. We appreciate those senators who stood with working people today against a bill that would have led to undemocratic trade deals that lower wages and eliminate jobs. This vote sends a message loud and clear.”

The Communications Workers of America, one of the unions mobilizing against fast track, said in a statement, “Senators should not give away their right to amend a trade deal that has been negotiated in secrecy. Voting for Fast Track authorization does exactly that, and Senators are right to reject it.

“Our broad coalition – workers, environmental activists, immigrant rights activists, students, public health and consumer groups and so many others – remains strongly opposed to Fast Track and the TPP that would be a disaster for U.S. jobs, workers and communities.”

Teamsters President James Hoffa noted, “No trade agreement should ever be brought up in Congress for a simple up-or-down vote. We all know what fast track has brought us in the past – unfair, unbalanced trade agreements like NAFTA that have led to the loss of millions of manufacturing jobs in our country over the last 20 years.”

In recent months, unions in Minnesota have put increasing pressure on Klobuchar to take a position against fast track. Their actions included a rally outside her Minneapolis office last week.

Klobuchar did not comment, but a spokeswoman told the Minneapolis Star Tribune she voted not to allow debate on the fast track bill “because she continues to have concerns about whether the proposed legislation is strong enough for American workers.”

Whether or not it wins the fast track authority, the Obama administration is expected to push for passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, also called TPP, a massive trade deal that would cover approximately 40% of the global economy. The negotiations are being conducted in secret and even members of Congress have little access to the contents.

Fair trade advocates, including United Steelworkers President Leo Girard, said Tuesday’s Senate vote is not the end of the struggle.

“America is in an abusive relationship with trade-obsessed politicians and corporations,” Girard said. “Despite their long history of battering the U.S. middle class with bad trade deal after bad trade deal, these lawmakers and CEOs contend workers should believe that their new proposal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be different.”

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