With UAW's King for Cover, Obama Backhands Labor in Korea Trade Deal

[brentspeak]

Flashback to Obama in Feb 28, 2008 on NAFTA: "I will make sure we renegotiate. I think we should use the hammer of a potential opt-out as leverage to ensure that we actually get labor and environmental standards that are enforced".

http://labornotes.org/2010/12/uaws-king-cover-obama-backhands-labor-korea-trade-deal

With UAW's King for Cover, Obama Backhands Labor in Korea Trade Deal
Mischa Gaus
December 8, 2010

updated Friday, December 10

President Obama finalized the largest trade deal since NAFTA on Friday. It looks like he cut and pasted the same corporate-friendly script he inherited from previous administrations, Democrat and Republican alike.

snip

But the agreement does have the approval of Bob King, president of the United Auto Workers, who shocked fellow officers—not to mention thousands of members who have agitated against corporate-backed trade rules—by supporting the deal almost immediately.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates the Korea trade deal could cost 159,000 U.S. jobs. Pointing out that imports rose faster than exports following trade agreements with Mexico and China, EPI forecasts a rising trade deficit with Korea that will displace U.S. jobs, mostly in manufacturing.

snip

UAW sources suggest King felt he had to back the trade deal as payback to Obama for pumping billions into failing automakers in 2009—although the bailout of Chrysler and GM laid off tens of thousands of workers and cut pay—in half—for future auto workers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/09/AR2010120905829.html

South Korea free-trade deal opposed by AFL-CIO, Steelworkers, other unions

By Howard Schneider
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 9, 2010; 8:15 PM

The proposed http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/03/AR2010120304293.html">U.S.-South Korea free-trade deal drew fire from major unions Thursday, disrupting the Obama administration's hope for building a broad consensus behind its first free-trade pact.

The AFL-CIO, the United Steelworkers, the International Association of Machinists and the Communications Workers of America all said they would oppose the deal when it comes before Congress next year, arguing that it will drain U.S. manufacturing jobs and does not include worker and other protections unions had hoped President Obama would demand.

snip

"We do not need to inflict further damage to our manufacturing sector and the lives and livelihoods of our workers to prove the strength of our alliance" with South Korea, the United Steelworkers said in a statement. "We have concluded that, while improved, it still does not merit USW support, and we will oppose its passage."

Labor opposition is not uniform: the United Auto Workers, which along with automakers such as Ford Motor Co. was closely involved in the final negotiations over the agreement, has endorsed it. And officials with the United Food and Commercial Workers union have supported it for lowering agricultural tariffs and probably boosting sales of U.S. meat and other foods.

[FreakinDJ]

1. No We have not Forgotten your promise Mr President

remember that when you go to seek re-election

[ProSense]

2. It's not just the UAW. The deal gained the approval of Sander Levin, who opposed NAFTA. Still,

here are more recent (Dec. 27) commentaries on the deal.

Our view on commerce: Trade deal with South Korea deserves rapid ratification (USA Today editorial)

Opposing view on commerce: Wrong deal, wrong time (AFL-CIO op-ed)

THE U.S.-KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT: MORE AMERICAN JOBS, FASTER ECONOMIC RECOVERY THROUGH EXPORTS (WH fact sheet, PDF)

It should also be noted that the EPI numbers are based on an assessment made several months (February) before the deal was finalized. It had also been rejected in the interim.

[brentspeak]

3. "Rejected" by who? The US Chamber of Commerce, Obama's new buds?

[robcon]

4. The Korean free trade deal is a winner for both sides.

Free trade is better than what we have with Korea.

[brentspeak]

5. A winner for a few executives and shareholders on both sides

Kind of like NAFTA.

[robcon]

6. A winner for workers and voters.

n/t