Unfair trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement eviscerated good-paying manufacturing jobs, putting more than 3 million U.S. workers out of work.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Unfair trade agreements, passed by both Republicans and Democrats, have sent millions of jobs to other countries. We need to stop this hemorrhaging and find ways for American workers to compete in the new market.
Unfortunately, the United States has entered into several free trade agreements that do not sufficiently protect and support our manufacturing industries and the millions of American workers they employ.
Beneficial in theory, so-called free trade agreements far too often have been detrimental to the United States economy and the manufacturing sector that forms its central pillar.
American workers won't be able to compete fairly for jobs until companies have to pay higher wages in countries like China and India.
Instead of trade policy that is beneficial to American businesses and workers as well as our trade partners, we have a flawed trade policy that hurts all parties.
People feel these job-killing trade agreements have really squeezed the middle class and caused lots of people to lose their middle-class status.
Economically, unfair trade will benefit nobody in the long run, as poorer countries will be bled totally dry and will become unable to produce anything.
The jobs aren't going away. They're bringing in people to replace Americans in those jobs. And this Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership, it makes it worse.
My overall message for labor members is... that we understand that the benefits of trade are clear, but the disruption and the dislocation are painfully concentrated and we can't ignore them.
Trade can really be good for American workers and American businesses.