Ottawa, September 25, 2017 – The International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents members in the American and Canadian
transport and manufacturing sectors, dispatched representatives to Ottawa to voice
their workers’ concerns during the third round of NAFTA 2.0 renegotiations.
Several issues that are
priorities for Teamsters are on the table in the third round of talks,
including workers’ rights, dairy market access and highway safety. The Teamsters have also joined the chorus of
civil society groups that are calling for the elimination of the controversial
dispute settlement mechanism in NAFTA’s investment chapter whereby corporations
can sue governments.
François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada, sent a team of
Union representatives to Ottawa to discuss several issues. David Froelich, head of the Dairy Division of
Teamsters Canada, met with lead Canadian negotiators to discuss supply management
in the dairy industry.
“We represent many workers in the
dairy industry, especially in cheese making and processing,” reminded the
President of Teamsters Canada. “We
support supply management, particularly since this system is good for jobs and
helps ensure food safety for Canadians.
Access to the dairy market was not on the table when NAFTA was first
negotiated, and it should not be part of the renegotiation.
“Furthermore, issues related to
trucking, the apparel and warehousing industries concern our members, and we
have to bring them to the attention of Canadian negotiators.”
International President James Hoffa
from Washington, a member of two advisory committees to the U.S. Trade
Representative, emphasized the importance of workers’ rights and strongly
advised the U.S. delegation against tabling a labour chapter that fails to
level the playing field among the three NAFTA countries.
“I have seen the first draft of
the U.S. proposal on worker rights and it is inadequate,” Hoffa stated. “The Canadian text, however, goes farther and
even addresses American right-to-work laws that depress wages and therefore
attract companies in a ‘free trade’ race to the bottom. I urge the U.S.
negotiators to work with us and with their Canadian counterparts to craft a
labour chapter that will raise standards and wages throughout North America. Anything less should not be a starting point
for these negotiations. It is imperative
that a NAFTA replacement get it right when it comes to workers’ rights.”
In North America, workers
represented by Teamsters are an integral part of the supply chain. With members in long-haul trucking and
freight rail, at ports and warehouses, as well as members in manufacturing and
food processing, the Teamsters have a big stake in trade policy reform. In Washington and Ottawa and coast to coast,
they will be monitoring the modernization of the flawed and failed NAFTA, and
working together to make sure that the new NAFTA works for working families.
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