USW Activists on Capitol Hill to Stop Fast Track Trade Deal

Massive effort to derail Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) involves all major unions

Contact:  Gary Hubbard, 202-256-8125, ghubbard@usw.org

Washington, D.C. (Mar. 4) – Nearly 100 activists of the United Steelworkers (USW) from a dozen key states will arrive on Capitol Hill today to join hundreds of other union members in meetings with Members of Congress to tell their stories about why Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), or ‘Fast Track’ should be opposed whenever it comes up for a vote.

The largest state delegations of USW members participating in the lobby day are from Pennsylvania and Ohio, while others are from more distant New England, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Texas and California.

Fast Track, otherwise known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), establishes a process by which free trade deals can be submitted to Congress for an expedited vote that allows no amendments and limited debate.

USW President Leo W. Gerard said, “The record of free trade deals passed before fast track authority finally expired has only benefited global corporations, and not American workers who get brutalized by massive imports and jobs off-shored to exploit low labor and environmental standards.”

He adds: “Fast Track forces Congress to accept take-it-or leave-it free trade deals that stick our nation with increased trade deficits, while doing nothing on state subsidies, currency manipulation, and opening access to foreign markets for American-made exports.”

A delegation of USW members will also be participating in other events on the lobby day, including a press event at 12:00 Noon in the Capitol Visitors Center led by U.S. Reps. Rose DeLauro (D-CT), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ).

The TPA or Fast Track would be used to act on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) involving 11other nations that is currently being negotiated by the US Trade Representative. 

In a show of solidarity, USW President Leo W. Gerard was among signers of a Mar. 2 letter sent to Congress by 60 unions within and outside of the AFL-CIO that expressed opposition to Fast Track authority, which is used to advance unfair trade deals such as the TPP.

The letter, which can be viewed by clicking here, demonstrates the unity between workers who have jobs that are directly impacted by bad trade deals, and those whose jobs are indirectly affected.

For USW resources opposing Trade Promotion Authority, or Fast Track: Click Here.

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