Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Korea Trade Deal

For more than a decade, the labor movement, environmental groups, development advocates and others have advocated for a new trade policy that is part of a more coordinated and coherent national economic strategy. The proposed U.S.-Korea trade deal does not live up to that model and does not contribute to a sustainable global future. . . .

President Obama is holding a press conference in moments, amid signs that his deal with Republicans on the Bush tax cuts is falling apart. Joe Biden visited the Hill to try and save the policy, but Democrats and allies from across the political spectrum are opposed. Mary Landrieu, of all people, called the deal “almost morally corrupt” and termed it “the Obama-McConnell plan.” The Congressional Progressive Caucus want a “no strings attached” policy with UI and the tax cuts on the first $250,000 of income extended.

Yesterday, Ben Smith broke the story that the AFL-CIO had drafted a statement opposing Obama’s NAFTA-Style Korea Free Trade Deal, and it has been sitting on Richard Trumka’s desk since last Thursday (the day before the White House announced the deal). A member of congress, however, is spreading the rumor that the AFL-CIO might sit [...]

In the 14 hours since the White House dumped the news of a NAFTA-style Korea Free Trade agreement on a Friday night, labor unions are deafly silent in opposing this job-killing agreement.

What does AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka think about the recommendations made by the co-chairs of the Catfood Commission?

Laura Flanders of GRITtv spoke with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka last week about jobs, Trumka’s union experience, and the future of the labor movement. Trumka is clearly aggravated about a lack of progress on jobs, saying that President Obama “is probably more pro-business than anybody in the past.” He also says “the worst thing this president could do” is replace Larry Summers with a CEO.

Next Friday Saturday, on 10.2.10, a large and diverse coalition of over 200 faith, labor, youth, student and civil rights organizations will mass in Washington and cities all over the country for One Nation Working Together. Organizers expect participants in the six figures to “demand the change we voted for” and build a social movement around Jobs, Justice and Education for All. This event contrasts with the spate of Tea Party rallies and events that we’ve seen over the past year.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka will address a rare public meeting of the Bowles-Simpson fiscal commission today and tell them that the best deficit reduction strategy at this time of mass unemployment would be job growth. Over 15 million Americans are out of work, and therefore the huge opportunity loss of economic and tax revenue creates a deficit that could easily bring down the debt over the long term.

Yesterday, AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka gave a speech in Cleveland, Ohio, on immigration reform, an issue where labor has traditionally been neutral or openly hostile. Trumka’s strong support for immigration reform shows both the changes in the diversity of the labor movement, as well as the understanding that common values and common purpose, not individual fiefdoms, will increase power of a mass social movement outside of politics.

Trumka made it very clear. “We have no short-term deficit problem.” We have a jobs problem, and we’re not doing a heck of a lot about it. And more is being done inside Washington to pay attention to the former than the latter. “The deficits facing our country right now are our jobs deficit and our infrastructure deficit.”