CBTU Resolution Supports President Cohen, Rebuts Anonymous White House Smear

The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) is rejecting criticism of CWA President Larry Cohen leveled by an unnamed "U.S. trade official."

Two weeks ago, Cohen, not for the first time, forcefully criticized the drive to grant the White House fast track approval for job-killing trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. TPP would destroy U.S. jobs, threaten environmental standards and give multinational corporations special rights to challenge the laws of the U.S. and other partner governments.

"America will never see a raise for American working families if we continue to make trade deals like we have in 20 years since NAFTA," Cohen said at that Jan. 8 news conference attended by Democratic caucus members in the U.S. House of Representatives and allies in the fight to stop fast track. "80% of Americans have had no raise in 30 years...We have to stop trade deals that only move in one direction."

Cohen's statement on the impact of past trade deals in cities like Detroit, St. Louis and Ferguson, Mo., got under the skin of the unnamed White House official.

In an e-mail to Inside U.S. Trade, the official tried to deflect the criticism by taking umbrage.

"Connecting this President's trade agenda to Ferguson shows a stunning level of desperation and a total disregard for the truth," the official said. "We all understand that trade is an issue that many on the far left feel deeply passionate about but there has to be some level of responsibility in the rhetoric that is being used."

CBTU members heard about the criticism during their meeting in Atlanta, GA, last week, and unanimously passed a resolution supporting Cohen:

"The members of the Executive Council of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, representing Unions throughout the United States and Canada, strongly support President Cohen and the remarks he made to the committee on Capitol Hill addressing the adverse effect for workers in this country if the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bill is passed by Congress. The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists clearly understands that there have been job losses due to the passage of other trade bills and we are of the opinion there will be further job loss with the passage of the TPP.

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ON CAPITOL HILL: 'BIG TENT' NEWS CONFERENCE SHOWS BIG OPPOSITION TO FAST TRACK, TPP