Teamsters Denounce Peru Free Trade Agreement

In another blow to workers everywhere, the Bush administration signed the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement, a substandard deal with no worker protections that will continue the trend of shipping good, American jobs overseas.

“Congress can make sure this bad trade deal never sees the light of day, and the Teamsters will do everything in our power to ensure that happens,” said Jim Hoffa, General President of the Teamsters Union.

In this agreement, the Bush administration has blatantly disregarded the issues that have plagued the past trade agreements—core labor standards. Despite the president of Peru publicly stating he would include International Labor Organization labor standards in any trade agreement with the United States, the Bush administration inexplicably chose to exclude them, mirroring the failed NAFTA and CAFTA models.

“If the global economy is to truly benefit workers and economies, there must be real and enforceable mechanisms in our trade agreements to ensure the basic rights of workers,” Hoffa said. “Without such mechanisms, these trade agreements will only lead to more job loss, weaker critical regulations, and repercussions that will affect economies and workers everywhere. If Peru is ready to move forward on workers rights, why isn’t our government as enlightened?”