UAW Opposes The TPP: "We’ve lost 75,000 jobs in manufacturing since we signed the KFT"
People are finally starting to say "no more."
United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams says hes strongly opposed to the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement. The UAW supported the Korea Free Trade agreement, but that was then.
Williams says the UAW regrets having supported the Korea Free Trade deal because it cost jobs.
[Dennis Williams]: And I can tell you right now from what weve seen if we had it to do over again we would not support the Korean agreement.
Weve lost 75,000 jobs in manufacturing today since we signed that agreement and the deficit continues to rise. Thats not a fair trade agreement. And this is a good example to say enough. We need a real trade agreement that has real teeth to protect working men and women in this country.
Williams says these trade agreements amplify the concern the union has about automakers building cars in cheap labor market nations for sale here in the U.S. He says thats a bad deal for U.S. workers and their communities.
[Dennis Williams]: When you look at what has occurred since NAFTA and the amount of jobs we have lost to NAFTA. And the fact that companies and not just the big three but Nissan and Toyota and Volkswagen and a lot of other companies are investing in Mexico. And if you look at the amount of vehicles that are being built in Mexico and then imported into the United States. Thats a good example of how trade agreements are not effective in this country. And thats unfair to the American taxpayer and thats unfair to the American people. And its unfair to UAW members.
http://www.wortfm.org/uaw-opposes-the-tpp-regrets-supporting-korea-free-trade-agreement-02-10-16/