UAW Local 1050 Consumer Affairs Committee Report      

TTP and Lame Duck Voting

A recent concern has been brought up about the TPP, or Trans-Pacific Partnership and how it could affect us. This is an evolving trade agreement which would be bigger than NAFTA https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/103-1993/h575# . This is also an issue that is being pushed to vote on, during a “lame duck” congress session.

A lame duck session is usually conducted after a major election, but before the new candidates are sworn in. This usually happens between the middle of November and the middle of January. Some Congress members are not on Capitol Hill, due to vacations or fact finding trips. This would be a chance for one political party to take advantage of another party’s vote on certain issues.

The TPP is a part of a 12 nation, 4 continent free-trade agreement (not FAIR TRADE), which benefits west coasts states and more jobs overseas. This would mean job cuts in the United States work force. The issue cannot be amended and consists of a strictly Yes or No vote to accept the terms of the TPP. This means some U.S. products, such as tobacco, are not included and would  limit certain other exports. 

One of the trade offs of the TPP would be less export tariffs, but it would promote “free (not FAIR) trade” tariffs of imports. The TPP imports would easily compete with domestic retail and manufacturing, along with hurting our current local economy.

A good way to help stop the lame duck vote on this issue is to contact your elected congress officials in the Senate http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=OH  and House of Representatives http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ and tell them what you think. The surprising thing is they actually respond most of the time.

In Solidarity,

Rick Peck