No more Fast Track!!

[eridani]

Dear Trade Justice Advocates,

Today in San Francisco, the Obama Administration and the United States Trade Representative are beginning a second round of trade deal negotiations on the TPP- the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, is a process to further eliminate 'barriers to trade' between the US and Singapore , Chile , New Zealand , Brunei , Australia , Peru and Vietnam . Discussions began during the end of the Bush Administration, and have been on hold for the last year. At the end of 2009, Obama stated his commitment to the process and in March 2010 there was a new round of discussion in Australia .

Promises

Candidate Obama promised to not sign another trade agreement unless it put working people, the environment, family farms and consumers first.

Now the moment of truth is upon us and….



IT'S OUR TIME TO SPEAK UP! www.ustr.gov/tpp/comment

No More Fast Track!

In the past trade agreements have been negotiated by the United States Trade Representative and the President only-through fast-track. The trade agreement came to Congress at the end of the process to either vote 'Yes or No' vote with no possibility for amendment changes. This branded Congressional members as anti-trade if they voted 'no'.

We need to make sure that there is NO FAST TRACK for the TPP negotiations.

We want a NEW MODEL for trade, not more of the same failed past NAFTA style free trade deals.

The Time is Now!

We have to weigh in NOW to make sure USTR knows- it's time for a NEW DEAL on trade or there's NO DEAL.

It only takes a minute.

If the TPP if it is to represent a more balanced way to expand trade, and garner broad support from the public, labor and civil society organizations and thus Congress, it must address the core issues below which are also central to the TRADE Act.

WFTC joins other Fair Trade Campaigns in setting a goal of sending 100 comments this week to let USTR know we are following the discussion in San Francisco and beyond.


1) Visit www.ustr.gov/tpp/comment

2) Submit a comment! Tell USTR that the TPP must:


Enforce labor, environmental and human rights standards according to the ILO, UN and other international conventions
Not allow investor's rights over state sovereignty, allowing nations to enforce democratic environmental, labor and consumer laws for the health and wellbeing of their people.
Keep consumers safe through enforcing strict food and product safety laws


SAMPLE COMMENT:

Dear Ambassador Kirk,
The TPP needs to uphold the promises made by President Obama to reform trade policy.

The negotiations in San Francisco and beyond need to result in a new model for trade, and a trade agreement we can all support. Congress needs to be a part of this negotiation process as well.

The TPP must include enforceable labor, human rights and environmental standards, and strict food and product safety rules. It cannot include the flawed investor-state provisions that undermine democracy. It should create jobs here, not export our livelihoods and allow multi-national corporations to take advantage of workers in other countries.

Please ensure the TPP promotes trade that benefits everyone.
- (your name, town, state)


Please let me know when you submit your comment so we can tally our way to 100!

THANK YOU FOR TAKING ACTION!

[inna]

1. Isn't this about 10000 times worse than NAFTA?

I was going to say, NAFTA on steroids, but then I realized "steroids" did not even start to describe the implications.