“Canadian Teamsters, like our brothers and sisters stateside, recognize that a new NAFTA must contain an ambitious new chapter that will protect worker rights and also be a model for future trade pacts.” said Teamsters Canada President François Laporte .
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and
Teamsters Canada President François Laporte, speaking at a North
American labour summit sponsored by the AFL-CIO, agreed that
workers' rights must be front-and-center in the minds of those
participating in the fourth round of renegotiations of NAFTA. A new
deal, they said, must enforce basic labour rights, increase wages
and living standards for working families throughout the continent.
In the U.S., Hoffa said that means pushing back
on anti-union legislation that hampers workers' ability to
collectively bargain.
"Teamsters in the U.S. are mobilized against
the spread of so-called 'right-to-work' laws in the states because
they depress wages by undercutting union power," he said. "I applaud
the Canadians for making this a trade issue. We agree that these
laws incentivize employers to relocate from Canadian provinces that
don't allow 'free-riders'. I urge the Canadian negotiators to hold
their ground on their progressive labour text and for the U.S.
negotiators to take this issue seriously. "
Laporte
added, "Canadian Teamsters, like our brothers and sisters stateside,
recognize that a new NAFTA must contain an ambitious new chapter
that will protect worker rights and also be a model for future trade
pacts. We appreciate the text tabled by our government, but we want
to emphasize that worker rights and protections for indigenous
people and women in the workforce are all very important, but that
the enforcement is essential. New rights in a new NAFTA won't be
worth much without trade sanctions to back them up."
A labour chapter as part of NAFTA 2.0 is
essential to the fight. That's why the Teamsters are participating
in talks with the Steelworkers, the AFL-CIO and fellow unions from
Canada and Mexico to ensure a successful NAFTA renegotiation.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood
of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women
throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit
www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter
@Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.
SOURCE Teamsters Canada
For further information: Ted Gotsch, (202)
624-6911, tgotsch@teamster.org
Liens Connexes
http://teamsters.ca/
