Pushed by workers, Democrats added more enforceable labor standards.
U.S. negotiators following TPP script in NAFTA 2.0 talks, observers warn
October 26, 2017 by
Two months into NAFTA renegotiation talks, the process is looking awfully familiar to labor and fair-trade observers – and not in a good way. When his trade representatives opened talks with Canada and Mexico in August, President Trump pledged to deliver “a better deal for our workers.” But so far, Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition Director […]
Unions weigh in on Trump’s plans to ‘modernize’ disastrous NAFTA trade deal
July 3, 2017 by
Since being established in 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement – better known as NAFTA – has triggered job losses, depressed wages and shifted more power to corporations. Now, the Trump administration has notified Congress it plans to “modernize” the horrible trade deal, giving working families an historic opportunity to shape a better trade […]
Kaela Berg: TPP is dead, but fight for fair trade isn’t over
December 15, 2016 by
Many of us are left reeling from the results of the 2016 election and what it will mean for this country moving forward. The future of U.S. trade policy is unclear, as is much of the political and economic landscape. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has officially been declared “dead.” That means that, in its current […]
Unions, environmental groups brace for lame-duck fight over Trans Pacific pact
October 27, 2016 by
On the night of the third presidential debate, a small group of activists gathered inside a union hall in Minneapolis, but their focus was not on the outcome of the 2016 election. It was on what might happen between Nov. 8 and the inauguration, specifically when it comes to trade. President Obama is expected to […]
Safety expert weighs implications as job market shifts ‘from stability to precariousness’
May 6, 2016 by
The nature of work is changing dramatically, and it’s creating new challenges – and pitfalls – for regulators charged with protecting workers’ health and safety. The highest-ranking official at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health called on academics gathered Wednesday at the University of Minnesota to dig deep into the implications of emerging […]
Kaela Berg: Trans-Pacific Partnership a threat to U.S. jobs
March 24, 2016 by
Trade. It may not be at the front of your mind today, or even most days, but it should be. After 20 years of living with the disastrous impacts of NAFTA and every trade agreement since, we are now faced with the largest free trade agreement we’ve yet seen, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Often touted […]
Public finally gets a look at TPP – and it isn’t pretty
November 5, 2015 by
Labor, environmental and other fair-trade activists are getting their first look at the Tran-Pacific Partnership, released to the public overnight. Their initial reaction? It’s worse than expected. “It’s absolutely not a progressive trade deal,” Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition director Kaela Berg said after an early analysis of the text. “It’s clear that TPP will perpetuate […]
Photos: Workers keep up fight to #StopTPP
October 2, 2015 by
Workers haven’t given up the fight to stop the latest – and largest – free-trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. As diplomats from 12 Pacific Rim countries gathered in Atlanta yesterday for negotiations on the sprawling, NAFTA-style trade pact, fair-trade advocates across the country took to the streets, warning the public about what’s at stake in […]
With Fast Track vote looming, Minnesotans join ‘last-ditch effort’ to sway Wisconsin rep
June 10, 2015 by
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – In a showing of cross-border solidarity, fair trade activists from Minnesota bolstered the ranks of local activists protesting today outside the offices of U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, a lead proponent of legislation that would “fast track” more bad trade deals that threaten U.S. jobs. Fast Track, or “trade promotion authority,” […]
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