12 Feb NAFTA is a Failure for North American Workers
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a failure for working people across North America. It kills jobs, lowers ages and diminishes our democracy.
For nearly 25 years, NAFTA has put the interests of powerful corporate CEOs ahead of environmental standards, healthy communities and regular working families across the continent.
By contrast, a good trade deal would level the playing field for all workers with key provisions to:
- Eliminate corporate privileges like the Investor-State Dispute Settlement, which is a special, private court where only foreign investors can challenge our laws and win potentially huge payouts.
- Add strong, clear and robustly enforced protections for working people, so workers can exercise our freedom of speech and assembly without fear of intimidation or violence.
- ย Add provisions to protect our democratic freedoms, so we can pass and enforce environmental protections to safeguard our food, water and products like childrenโs toys.
The next round of NAFTA renegotiation talks will begin on February 24 in Mexico. The BCTGM supports trade deals that protect and support working people so we can raise pay and work standards and improve communities.
Check out how NAFTA hurts the people and community of Lorain, Ohio in this video produced by the AFL-CIO.