AFL-CIO: The Fight for Better Trade Policy Isn't Over

In a resolution adopted by the Executive Council, the AFL-CIO called the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal "unacceptable" and said that, in its current form, the deal "will irreparably harm the American economy and its working families."

The AFL-CIO cited the most important failures of the TPP:

• Labor provisions that repeat past mistakes and fail to create confidence that they will be enforced.
• Unreformed investment rules that increase corporate influence over our economy and undermine our democracy.
• Complete lack of effective rules against currency manipulation.
• Complete lack of rules to establish a framework for border adjustments to ensure that climate change policies are not undermined.

"The TPP's continued failure to address even these fundamental issues demonstrates the pact's architects have neglected the growing evidence of the failure of status quo trade policies and have disregarded the policy solutions that will rebuild a sustainable U.S. and global economy with a vibrant middle class. Until the TPP remedies these failures, the AFL-CIO will fight this pact, using all of the tools at our disposal," the resolution said.