No Vote Until NAFTA is Fixed!
Please join us August 20th for a National Day of Action.

For a quarter-century, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has failed workers. CEOs continue to shutter factories in the U.S. while pursuing low wages and lax environmental standards as they set up shop in Mexico. For those U.S. workers who hang on to their jobs, there is still downward pressure on wages and benefits from this lopsided playing field. In Mexico, workers struggle to make gains.

Just ask Mickey Ray Williams, President of USW Local 12. He keeps a tire in his conference room as a reminder. It’s an Assurance All-Season tire that was first developed at Goodyear’s Gadsden factory in 2014, the same facility where Williams has worked for 17 years, following in his father’s footsteps, who retired from the plant after 36 years. Now, possibly all of these tires are being built in a brand-new, half-billion-dollar plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

At the very same time, Williams is dealing with Goodyear’s decision to lay-off his members. You see, at his plant, a U.S. worker makes around $24 an hour. In Mexico, Goodyear pays workers less than $2 an hour for the same work. This broken system isn’t designed to benefit workers here or in Mexico. It’s designed to maximize corporate profits.

In addition to the need for labor enforcements, a renegotiated NAFTA must also fix the monopoly rights for pharmaceutical corporations that would allow them to keep drug prices sky high (more info at usw.to/meds). We have the opportunity to do this right.

On Tuesday, August 20th,
Dial your U.S. Representative toll-free:
866-202-5409

You’ll be directed to the right person based on your zip code.

Please leave a message with staff (or on voicemail) saying:

• “I’m [name], and I live in [city/town]. I want Congress to hold off on a vote on NAFTA until it’s fixed. The renegotiated NAFTA needs strong enforcement for its labor provisions and fixes to the rules that will keep drug prices high. Please take the time to do this right.”

There’s been progress, but not enough. We need swift and certain enforcement of labor provisions. Our union has been working with our allies in Mexico and Canada for years to bring attention to the problems. We have an opportunity to get it right as NAFTA is renegotiated, and we need to send a strong message:  NO VOTE UNTIL NAFTA IS FIXED!

USW Rapid Response  |  412-562-2291  |  www.uswrr.org  |  facebook.com/USWRapidResponse

Click HERE to download a printable version to share in your workplace.