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UAW President Dennis Williams
It's no secret that labor unions -- at least officially -- wanted nothing to do with a Donald Trump presidency.
Now comes this unholy alliance.
UAW President Dennis Williams said Thursday the union wants to join forces with the president-elect to change, fix or dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement, Brent Snavey of the Detroit Free Press writes.
"I am prepared to sit down and talk to him about trade. NAFTA is a problem. It is a huge problem to the American people," Williams said in Detroit, according to the Freep.
NAFTA took effect in 1994 under President Bill Clinton and unions say it has led to a loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S., with many -- but not all -- of those jobs going to Mexico, the Freep reports, adding that nearly all automakers have built new plants in Mexico in recent years and Mexico passed Canada in 2008 to become the second biggest manufacturer of new cars in North America.
For those interested in learning more about NAFTA, read on from the website NAFTANOW.ORG:
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a comprehensive agreement that sets the rules for international trade and investment between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The Agreement is a complex and lengthy document that includes eight sections, 22 chapters, and some 2,000 pages. Some of the most important provisions are highlighted below.
Market Access for Goods
The elimination of duties on thousands of goods crossing borders within North America.
Phased-in tariff reductions – now complete – and special rules for agricultural, automotive, and textile and apparel products.
Important rights for NAFTA services providers and users across a broad spectrum of sectors.
Special commitments regarding telecommunications and financial services.
Formal dispute resolution processes that help resolve differences that arise in the interpretation or application of NAFTA’s rules.Protection for Foreign Investment
Commitment to treat each others’ investors and their investments in the territory of the host NAFTA country no less favorably than their own domestic investors.
Commitment to provide NAFTA investors with the best treatment given to foreign investors from beyond North America.
A transparent and binding dispute resolution mechanism specially designed to deal with investment.Protection for Intellectual Property
Adequate and effective protection and enforcement of a broad range of intellectual property rights (including through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs), while ensuring that the measures that enforce these rights do not themselves become barriers to legitimate trade.Easier Access for Business Travelers
Easier access for business professionals in hundreds of different professions so that they can travel for business throughout the continent.Access to Government Procurement
Access to government procurement opportunities at the federal levels in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.Commitment to Labor Cooperation
The NAFTA partners signed a parallel agreement on labor cooperation designed to promote the effective enforcement of each country’s labor laws and regulations and to facilitate further cooperation between NAFTA partners on labor matters.
The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) established the Commission for Labor Cooperation (CLC), consisting of a Ministerial Council and a Secretariat. In the implementation of the NAALC, the CLC is assisted by National Administrative Officers (NAOs) in each of the three countries.
The current work program for labor cooperation focuses on occupational safety and health, employment and job training, labor law, and workers’ rights and productivity.
