Reject flawed trade deals

0 Comments | USA TODAY, December, 2006 | by John J. Sweeney

The new Congress will face a daunting array of challenges and choices with respect to trade policy when it convenes in January. Our country is running an annual trade deficit of almost $800 billion, real wages are stagnant or falling for most American workers, the number of people in poverty is growing, the manufacturing sector is in recession, and our health care and retirement security systems are eroding rapidly.

The AFL-CIO is looking forward to working closely with the new Congress to: *Ensure that bilateral trade agreements (such as those with Peru and Colombia) include enforceable protections for core workers' rights. *End tax breaks for companies that send jobs offshore. *Insist that the Chinese government stop manipulating its currency and take concrete steps to...