On Sept. 27, the United States, Canada and Mexico finished the third round of the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation talks. We’ve been told these talks will “get a better deal for our workers,” but the negotiating goals seem to prioritize getting a better deal for corporations that want to offshore jobs and decrease wages. That means NAFTA will continue to make it harder for you to get a raise.
The negotiations are held behind closed doors. The public does not have access to the negotiating texts. This means we know few details—and the devil is always in the details when we’re talking trade. That alone means there is cause for concern: Transparent and democratic negotiations are the AFL-CIO’s #1 recommendation for creating a fair and progressive trade policy.
In other areas, there have been a number of public statements about the negotiations that make us skeptical that these negotiations will reduce corporate power and replace it with rules that protect working people across North America. And if it isn’t fair for all of us, it won’t be fair for any of us. After all, we don’t live or work in an isolated economy. We must bring up standards for working people in all three NAFTA countries.
Get involved by signing this petition and texting TRADE to 235246.