{"id":19831,"date":"2015-04-15T14:18:33","date_gmt":"2015-04-15T18:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/?p=19831"},"modified":"2020-08-24T19:11:08","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T19:11:08","slug":"ufcw-announces-strong-opposition-to-fast-track-and-the-tpp","status":"publish","type":"press_releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/press-releases\/ufcw-announces-strong-opposition-to-fast-track-and-the-tpp\/","title":{"rendered":"UFCW Announces Strong Opposition to Fast Track and the TPP"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Perrone calls for bipartisan opposition and says\u00a0largest private sector union in the nation “will remember those elected officials who stood with America\u2019s workers\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON, D.C.<\/strong>\u2014Marc Perrone<\/strong>, International President of the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)<\/a><\/strong>, today penned an op-ed in The Hill<\/em> announcing his strong opposition to fast track and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).<\/p>\n

The UFCW supported the last major trade agreement with Korea because of its improved labor standards and potential to create 20,000 jobs in the meat sector. But in his op-ed, Perrone makes clear that this time is different.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is not the Korea free trade agreement,\u201d he writes. \u201cIt is neither free nor fair. And the UFCW is determined to see it defeated.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the piece, Perrone ties unfair \"tpp-5\"trade deals directly to the declining standard of living for hard-working families. \u201cIncome and economic inequality has grown to historically high levels,\u201d he writes. \u201cIndustry consolidation, fueled by unchecked global competition, has led to countless jobs being lost. Good union jobs have been decimated across nearly every state and replaced by either no job, or non-union jobs that barely pay above minimum wage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perrone is also strongly critical of the TPP\u2019s provisions to roll back labor, consumer, and environmental protections and the fact that it is being put together \u201cwith the advice and counsel of hundreds of corporate special interests with absolutely no input from labor or other groups that fight on behalf of the working and middle classes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven all that we know, how any elected official, Democrat or Republican, can support TPP is inexplicable,\u201d he writes.<\/p>\n

Perrone issues a warning to both political parties, calling on every member of Congress to oppose the TPP and the fast-track legislation that would make it possible to pass the TPP.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, while we may not be able to change every mind, we will remember those elected officials who stood with America\u2019s workers by voting for jobs and against another destructive trade deal,\u201d he writes. \u201cMore to the point, we join with the AFL-CIO and other unions that refuse to support any member of Congress that decides to put narrow self-interests above the interests of hard-working families.\u201d<\/p>\n

The full op-ed is linked here<\/a><\/strong> and pasted below.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

Join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union<\/a> (UFCW) online at www.ufcw.org<\/a><\/p>\n

We are 1.3 million families standing together to build an economy that every hard-working family deserves.<\/p>\n

www.facebook.com\/UFCWinternational<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0@UFCW<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

April 15, 2015, 02:00 pm<\/p>\n

Trans-Pacific Partnership will harm middle and working class Americans<\/strong><\/p>\n

By\u00a0Marc Perrone<\/strong><\/p>\n

Four years ago, after careful consideration, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) decided to endorse the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement, making us one of the only labor unions to do so. We viewed the Korea deal\u2014which had improved labor standards and was estimated\u00a0 to create over 20,000 jobs in the meat sector, as a small, but not insignificant, step forward on global trade policy. As the union that represents hundreds of thousands of meatpacking and food processing workers, we support fair trade agreements that open up new markets to sell UFCW-made products abroad.<\/p>\n

This time it\u2019s different. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is not the Korea free trade agreement. It is neither free nor fair. And the UFCW is determined to see it defeated.<\/p>\n

The truth is as we\u2019ve heard during past trade debates, many Republicans and even some Democrats, repeatedly say that the TPP won\u2019t hurt families or communities, or devastate industries, unions, or the middle and working classes.<\/p>\n

America\u2019s families know from experience the brutal reality will be quite different.<\/p>\n

Over the last three decades, in large part because of bad trade deals, Americans have worked harder than ever, while wages remain stagnant.\u00a0 Income and economic inequality has grown to historically high levels. Industry consolidation, fueled by unchecked global competition, has led to countless jobs being lost. Good union jobs have been decimated across nearly every state and replaced by either no job, or non-union jobs that barely pay above minimum wage.<\/p>\n

As for the TPP, while a bipartisan chorus will sing the praises of this trade deal, they choose to ignore the truth that it is America\u2019s working men and women, not them, who will pay the price as irresponsible corporations justify future cuts to wages, hours, and jobs\u2013all in the name of \u201cinternational competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

If that wasn\u2019t bad enough, the TPP goes even further by rolling back regulations that could be construed as a \u201cbarrier to trade,\u201d which includes environmental, consumer, and labor protections. And, if there were any remaining doubts, this massive trade deal, which will impact tens of millions of American jobs, has been put together in secret, with the advice and counsel of hundreds of corporate special interests with absolutely no input from labor or other groups that fight on behalf of the working and middle classes.<\/p>\n

Given all that we know, how any elected official, Democrat or Republican, can support the TPP is inexplicable.<\/p>\n

So, on behalf of the 1.3 million hard-working men and women of the UFCW, we are calling on every member of Congress to oppose the TPP and the fast-track legislation that would make it possible to pass the TPP.<\/p>\n

Let me be very clear, no elected official, regardless of political party, who is truly interested in making the economy better and fairer, can responsibly support the TPP. Simply put, this trade deal, like so many others, is bad for our workers, families, and shared future.<\/p>\n

In the end, while we may not be able to change every mind, we will remember those elected officials who stood with America\u2019s workers by voting for jobs and against another destructive trade deal. More to the point, we join with the AFL-CIO and other unions that refuse to support any member of Congress that decides to put narrow self-interests above the interests of hard-working families.<\/p>\n

Marc Perrone is International President of the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW).<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Perrone calls for bipartisan opposition and says\u00a0largest private sector union in the nation “will remember those elected officials who stood with America\u2019s workers\u201d WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Marc Perrone, International President of the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today penned an op-ed in The Hill announcing his strong opposition to fast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":220,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7,13],"tags":[58],"class_list":["post-19831","press_releases","type-press_releases","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industries","category-press-releases","tag-afl-cio"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUFCW Announces Strong Opposition to Fast Track and the TPP - The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/press-releases\/ufcw-announces-strong-opposition-to-fast-track-and-the-tpp\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UFCW Announces Strong Opposition to Fast Track and the TPP - 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