Cohen: Our Veterans Deserve Better Than a Trade Deal that Dishonors our Democracy

CWA President Larry Cohen issued this message on Veterans Day, Nov. 11:

This week, we celebrated Veterans Day as our Executive Board met in Washington. We made sure to honor and recognize the service of so many CWA sisters and brothers, something that rightfully should be done not just on Veterans Day but every day, by ensuring that our veterans have the jobs, opportunities and services they need.

Washington, D.C., was focused on a huge concert on the mall. Our board members however, were focused on our ongoing campaign against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that has Vietnam as a leading "partner."

How can our nation honor our veterans, yet promote the worst trade deal we've seen yet, a deal that undoubtedly will result in jobs leaving the U.S., lower pay for U.S. workers with "tradeable" jobs, and huge gains for the Vietnamese government?

We will remember the service of so many. But we also can honor our veterans by fighting back against TPP during this week of action and in the months ahead. Vietnam has a minimum wage of 28 cents per hour, an average hourly wage of 75 cents and virtually no worker, consumer or environmental rights or protections.

When our veterans come home, we should greet them not only with parades and concerts, but with good jobs and benefits, not trade deals that dishonor our democracy and our rights and those of working families around the world.

So let's double down and do all we can to defeat TPP, for our veterans, and working families everywhere.