IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger has sent a letter to Congress urging their opposition to the Bush-negotiated South Korea Free Trade Agreement and support for policies that build our manufacturing base and create jobs.
“The recently announced trade agreement between Korea and the U.S. (KORUS FTA) fails to move our trade policies in the right direction,” wrote Buffenbarger. “The KORUS FTA continues the basic framework of NAFTA-style trade agreements by protecting multinational corporate investors at the expense of workers and communities.
“Adhering to the outdated trade policies embedded in the KORUS FTA will not revitalize our economy and create good paying jobs. Americans of all political persuasions understand this and want a real change in our trade policies.”
The Bush-negotiated agreement fails to address the serious trade imbalance the U.S. has with South Korea, which exports 500,000 automobiles to U.S., but only allows 5,000 American cars to be sold in South Korea. It also does not address the country’s serious labor rights’ problems.
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that the KORUS FTA will cost America nearly 160,000 jobs—the worst possible outcome when so many Americans are out of work and cannot find a job.
Tell your Representative and Senators that we cannot afford another free trade agreement that puts the interests of multinational corporations ahead of working America and their families. Ask that they oppose the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement and work for trade policies that create good jobs and benefit all Americans.
