Say No to Fast Track

CWAers protest outside Rep. Gregory Meeks's New York office.

CWA and our allies continue to urge Congress to say no to "fast track" authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would send the deal to lawmakers for an up-or-down vote without any amendments.

In New York, CWAers, along with a coalition of labor, environmental and progressive organizations, protested outside Rep. Gregory Meeks's district office. Meeks is one of two Democrats that have joined the bipartisan Pro-TPP Caucus, which aims to speed the trade deal to ratification.

In California, CWA activists joined hundreds of activists protesting the secret trade deal, as President Obama, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid all came to town for Democratic fundraisers in Beverly Hills. CWA partnered with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Organic Consumers Association, Citizens Trade Coalition and Health Care for All at the march and rally.

Ernie Pacheco rallies TPP protesters. Photo by LAProgressive.com.

Below: Missouri activists warn that TPP will ship away our jobs.

"Passing the TPP will result in more American jobs being outsourced to foreign countries, more downward pressure on the wages of American workers, the continued erosion of workers' rights in the U.S., and a significant weakening of Buy American provisions," said Ernie Pacheco, CWA District 9's environmental programs coordinator. Read more and see photos at LAProgressive.com.

In Missouri, CWA partnered with Missouri Progressive Vote, St Louis Labor Council, MIRA, AFL-CIO, PEP and the St Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America to protest outside Rep. Ann Wagner's Ballwin district office. The police arrived, barring protesters from entering the building, but a small group was allowed to go in to discuss the legislation with Wagner's staff, who remained tight lipped on where the congresswoman stood on the bill.

The 20th major round of negotiations on the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal talks just concluded in Salt Lake City, Utah. The talks now move to a ministerial meeting Dec. 7-10 in Singapore, with the goal of wrapping up a deal by the end of the year. According to several news reports, South Korea is moving closer to joining the TPP talks.

The TPP is being secretly negotiated by 600 multinational corporations and industry trade groups and will affect nearly every aspect of Americans' lives. If passed, it will undermine state, local and federal laws, including those governing food safety, environmental protection, internet freedom, worker rights, democratic sovereignty, healthcare and drug prices, and banking and finance regulation. In short, it will be a disaster for workers, for public health and safety, for the future sustainability of the world's food supply and for basic democratic principles – in other words, it's NAFTA on steroids.