The Trans-Pacific Partnership will lead to a global race to the bottom

[OhioChick]

Friday 8 May 2015 07.30 EDT

At a time when economic inequality around the globe continues to widen, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will only make things worse. Unlike what President Obama claims, the agreement will only encourage a race to the bottom, in which a small percentage of people get ridiculously rich while most workers around the globe stay miserably poor. We can’t let that happen.

Today, President Obama is visiting Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon to garner support for the trade deal, which would be signed by the US and 11 Pacific Rim countries. That’s an apt place for Obama to beat the free-trade drum – Nike, like the TPP, is associated with offshoring American jobs, widening the income inequality gap, and increasing the number of people making slave wages overseas. Since the passage of NAFTA in 1993, we’ve seen the loss of nearly five million US manufacturing jobs, the closure of more than 57,000 factories, and stagnant wages. This deal won’t be any different.

In November, Zachary Senn, a college student reporter at the Modesto Bee, spent three weeks in Indonesia living with and interviewing workers who make goods for Nike, Adidas, Puma and Converse. When you hear Obama talking about those “high-quality jobs,” think of RM, a 32-year-old mother who told Senn that she works 55 hours, six days a week and makes just $184 a month after 12 years at the PT Nikomas factory, a Nike subcontractor that employs 25,000 people. That’s 83 cents an hour or $2,208 a year.

RM works in the sewing department and is expected to process 100 shoes an hour. “If we don’t meet our quotas, we get yelled at”, she told Senn. “And then the quotas are piled into the next day”. Eating lunch is difficult because the food “smells bad,” and worse yet, RM said there is only one restroom, with 15 stalls, for 850 women.

More: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/08/the-trans-pacific-partnership-will-lead-to-a-global-race-to-the-bottom

[TerrapinFlyer]

1. Where is the direct correlation of TPP and the 32-year mother working in Indonesia?

There is none. People seem to keep blaming a "treaty" or a "policy" for things that are happening regardless.

Capitalism always exploits the lowest paid workers. It will always seek out the lowest cost. There is no solution for that fact.

Of course it is not fair. But what most people forget, is the lowest paid workers are waiting in line for these jobs. It has been like this for 10,000 years.

One person makes a lot of money at the expense of many workers.

Please, tell me some "policy" you have in mind that fixes that problem.

If anything, the TPP guarantees temporary trade agreements... nothing more.

Globalization and Capitalism advance everywhere and you can't stop it.

[cali]

2. there is undeniably a direct correlation

U.S. corporations exploiting conditions created by ftas to off shore jobs to countries like Indonesia where workers are horrifically exploited by said corporations.

Perhaps there aren't total solutions to it, but there are actions that could be taken to mitigate.

How about incorporating some fair trade principles into trade agreements?

And if you are right, than that's all the more argument that the tpp isn't going to change conditions, will lead to even more exploitation and misery (as did the Colombian FTA), and damage the environment (as has happened under CAFTA.

[TerrapinFlyer]

5. My reply

"U.S. corporations exploiting conditions created by ftas to off shore jobs to countries like Indonesia where workers are horrifically exploited by said corporations."

ALL corporations are exploiting conditions...

"Perhaps there aren't total solutions to it..."

Correct... there are NO TOTAL SOLUTIONS...

"How about incorporating some fair trade principles into trade agreements?"

That IS what the TPP is trying to do!

"And if you are right, than that's all the more argument that the tpp isn't going to change conditions..."

Then you have not read what the TPP is.. it's a temporary fix to stall the outright exploitation.. that is going to happen anyway.

Call me a cynic.. I call it being a Realist. Deal with the situation, instead of trying to invent unicorns or blaming Obama, or any other U.S. Corporation. When you start to blame U.S. Corporations.. you have lost the fight. It doesn't matter if you are correct. Ask yourself why people vote against their best interests.

The game being played out right now is stupid Americans will always vote to give U.S. Corporations an advantage over a "foreign corporation".. even if they lose their own damn job because of it. You are NOT going to change that, so you have to work a solution around it.

[SamKnause]

3. That is the intention of the TPP and all Free

Trade Deals.

Under pay, abuse, and exploit the workers to enrich the corporations,

the financial markets, and the CEO's.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[One_Life_To_Give]

4. So IGLHR is concerned that working conditions will be made worse by TPP.

Very interesting that groups such as IGLHR oppose the TPP for fear that it would be worse for workers over there as well. If it's going to be bad for workers here and also bad for workers there. Then why would anyone other than our Corporate Overlords be for this?

[hifiguy]

6. That is its one and only purpose.

Always has been. Same with NAFTA.