Concern over Korean Trade Agreement

CWA is preparing to oppose the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) as it approaches a possible February or March vote in the Senate. The largest trade deal since NAFTA, we oppose KORUS because we think it will damage our economy and the jobs outlook in this country.

CWA fears that the proposed agreement would give investment and legal protections to large multi-national corporations which shift jobs offshore in search of the lowest labor and environmental costs and highest profits. With no counter balance, multi-national corporations whipsaw workers and nations to prevent and eliminate bargaining rights. KORUS, as negotiated, does not create an economic and collective bargaining rights framework to support the aspirations of U.S. and Korean workers.

Opposing KORUS isn’t important just because of the treaty’s lack of merit. It’s also important because the KORUS vote could foreshadow a similar vote on a Columbian trade pact which is even worse. Most Colombian workers have no legal right to organize and, in 2008 alone, forty-two trade unionists were murdered. Over 90% of the cases go unpunished. We will be providing more information on these trade agreements and efforts to defeat them in coming weeks.