IBEW 488 News

Important Trade Promotion Authority Needs Our Attention

Attention Brothers and Sisters

International President Hill has asked for our help

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA or Fast Track) gives the U.S. President authority to enter into trade agreements with limited congressional oversight. Trade Promotion Authority can only be granted by Congress. By giving TPA to the president, Congress relinquishes its constitutional authority to review and ammend Trade deals. Congress may only vote "yes" or "no" on the agreement and may not send the agreement back to the executive branch with suggestions for improvement.

Why does this matter to us?

  The administration is conducting negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in secret. Therefore, the labor community and others representing workers' rights have not had a meaning ful seat at the negotiating table. The administration has not shared with the labor community the TPP text relating to worker health and safaty protections, bargaining power, or the outsourcing of jobs.

  The text that has been leakedpoints to the content of the TPP being similar to that of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which resulted in more than 750,000 lost jobs, and the United States - Korea FreeTrade Agreement (KORUS), which cost 60,000 U.S. jobs in the first 2 years after it was signed.

  What makes the TTP even more troubling than NAFTA or KORUS is that it is being drafted as a living agreement, giving new countries the ability to sign on at any point down the road. The TTP would be the largest trade agreement in history, covering 792 million people and 40% of the world economy. An agreement of this of this size be done right: Weak labor protections or incentives to outsource U.S. jobs must be prevented from the outset.

  The IBEW believes that it is essential that Congress remains active in setting U.S.Trade Policy. Therefore, we respectfully ask that you do not support efforts to give the president Trade Promotion Authority. We ask that you notify our Senators and your Congressman or Congresswoman and tell them not to support TPA.

For your convenience, we have attached letters for both Senators and for all Connecticut House members, please click on the title of the story,  download, sign and complete address information for your representatives and forward to their offices. Thank you for your assistance.