Critical that Sen. Sanders continue the fight against TPP

I swear sometimes it seems that the only elected voice in Washington we hear opposing the Trans Pacific Partnership belongs to Sen. Bernie Sanders.

I fear this gigantic, destructive trade deal will be much of the legacy of President Obama — and that hurts my heart.

Even more I fear this corporate driven transfer of more of our wealth to fewer and fewer people at the very top will have devastating effects on the global economy and the America’s economy and politics.

Were it not for Sen. Sanders and hundreds of thousands of rank and file union members, environmentalists, human rights activists, and people of faith this horror of a trade deal would already be passed by the Congress and signed by the President.

Bernie is showing real leadership on our behalf. We gotta have his back as he has our backs.

The TPP is not even really a trade deal.

It is an effort to remove any obstacles to corporate power in the U.S. and Asia.

It is an effort to override national sovereignty governing corporations with adjudication bodies run by corporate attorneys.

It is not inevitable nor assured that we should have a global economic race to the bottom. It is the will of the wealthy whose greed has gone so deep as to be dangerous to us all.

Thank God Bernie Sanders is fighting to stop TPP.

We all need to re-double our efforts to stop TPP.

It will do nothing to American workers but take jobs and lower wages.

You cannot with any integrity say journey for raising wages and increasing the minimum wage and support TPP.

And the poorest and most vulnerable workers in the world will be hit the hardest by the Trans Pacific Partnership as they suffer the worst kind of labor and environmental abuses.

The overwhelming power of wealthiest in the history of the world will ride right over U.S. if TPP and fast track authority are passed.

Again, it is critical right now that we burn up the cell towers with our calls to the Capitol to stop TPP.

The Capitol switchboard number is 202-225-3121. Call both your senators now. Don’t wait. Don’t worry about which political party they are in.

If Bernie can fight, we can fight. Don’t let up. Don’t give up or give in or give out.

We in organized labor don’t have litmus tests, but you can bet every — and I mean EVERY — union activist in America will know how her senators voted on this.

No one gets a pass on this one.

Photo: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a news conference with House Democrats at the House triangle to urge Congress to not fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership and recognize a petition signed by 2 million Americans also opposing it, June 3. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

 


CONTRIBUTOR

Stewart Acuff
Stewart Acuff

Stewart Acuff is Organizing Director of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees 1199 in Philadelphia.

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