Target: Senate Majority and Minority Leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, House Majority and Minority Leaders John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi
Goal: Bring jobs back to the US by repealing free trade agreements with low-wage countries.
In late 1993, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed into law in the US. It eliminated or reduced tariffs (taxes) on a variety of goods between the US, Canada, and Mexico, thereby allowing goods to be moved between these countries at little to no cost. Advocates claimed that it would be good for the US because it would help boost exports and therefore create new jobs to support the increase. While some jobs in the US were created as a result of NAFTA, a recent report estimates that the US trade deficit with Mexico has resulted in a net loss of about 682,900 jobs in the US. Numerous other free trade agreements exist between the US and other countries, such as China, South Korea, Honduras and Panama.
The biggest problems with such agreements arise when there is a wide discrepancy in the pay of workers, working conditions, or relevant environmental laws between member nations. In the case of NAFTA, the US and Canada are relatively similar in these regards and free trade between them may be more beneficial than harmful. However, average wages in Mexico are much lower than in the US and workers experience poorer conditions on the job. These result in significantly lower costs for producing goods in Mexico, and is one reason why manufacturers like Hershey?s Chocolate have moved production facilities just south of the border.
Essentially, free trade agreements have put US workers with decent pay and working conditions in competition with workers in places like Mexico, China, and Vietnam where workers are paid much less and often work under worse conditions. It would be like holding a marathon where one runner is expected to run 20 miles while the other runners only have to run five, and somehow expecting the 20-miler to stand a chance. It is nonsense and it has cost the US jobs and livelihoods. Perhaps the single costliest relationship has been with China, which has resulted in an estimated loss of 2.8 million US jobs.
Free trade agreements with countries that have significantly lower wages, poorer working conditions, or less restrictive environmental regulations than the US are bad deals for US workers. They encourage companies to move jobs overseas and they slow increases in US wages. Urge congressional leaders to repeal these harmful trade agreements to protect US jobs.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Senate Majority Leader Reid, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, House Majority Leader Boehner, and House Minority Leader Pelosi,
NAFTA and similar free trade agreements have created some jobs in the US, but have caused many more to be shipped overseas. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that we have lost nearly 3.5 million jobs to Mexico and China alone.
Many of our most significant agreements are with countries where wages are much lower, working conditions are worse and environmental protections are weaker. Corporations can make larger profits by moving factories to Cancun and Beijing than by keeping them in Detroit. Our free trade agreements make it possible.
It is time to end these destructive agreements which pit American workers into unfair competition with their overseas counterparts. It is costing us jobs and livelihoods. I urge you to repeal all free trade agreements we share with low-wage nations.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
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