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I recently took part in a phone conference with members of the Texas Fair
Trade Coalition to learn more about the new TRADE bill which 50 members of Congress
had introduced June 4th. Interested members from Dallas, Austin, and Houston
took part in the conversation led by Marc Jacobson, the director of Texas Fair
Trade Coalition.
The bill is named Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE)
Act and it was introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Mike Michaud
(D-Maine). Marc gave detailed information on advantages of this new bill. He
pointed out that it would allow a review and renegotiation of existing trade
agreements (such as NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, and others). Requirements for future
trade agreements are also outlined in the TRADE Act. Some of the goals of the
bill to ensure fair trade are for instance: acceptance and adherence to the
International Labor Standards, development of enforcing mechanisms, assurance
of environmental, public and product safety, and consumer protections. The TRADE
Act will also make the process of passing trade agreements more transparent
and democratic by giving Congress more influence to amend such agreements replacing
the Fast Track procedure.
If passed, this bill will benefit American workers by raising labor standards
in other agreement countries, which in turn could help make US workers more
competitive. Fewer jobs would then be lost to outsourcing. More than 20 organizations
and unions have expressed their support for the TRADE Act.
The Texas Fair Trade Coalition would like to encourage individuals and groups
interested to help get as many co-sponsors in Congress to sign on as possible.
So far only Reps. Al Green and Gene Green from Houston have co-sponsored the
bill.
For more information please contact or check out www.texasfairtrade.org.
--Rosemarie Rieger 6/16/08