America’s trade policy has been broken for decades. Living standards have been depressed. Families have been squeezed. Our trade deals have cost millions of jobs and encouraged exploitation of workers and the environment.

I commend Chairman Rangel for the substantial progress made in improving workers’ rights and environmental standards in the Peru and Panama Free Trade Agreements. But our trade policy will not be fixed overnight. The Bush Administration’s consistent unwillingness to enforce trade violations against nations like Jordan and China reminds us there is no guarantee the executive branch will enforce any new rights workers may gain through these negotiations. And President Bush has negotiated a flawed agreement with gross human rights violator Colombia and a losing, one-sided agreement with South Korea.

We agree with Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel that the progress on workers’ rights and the environment does not clear the way for other flawed agreements, and we will vigorously oppose the Colombia and South Korea agreements and renewal of Fast Track trade authority.

While recognizing the real progress made in the approach taken with Peru and Panama on workers’ rights and the environment, we reserve final judgment until we have reviewed the agreements in their entirety. We also remain concerned that the agreement fails to adequately address issues related to the outsourcing of U.S. jobs and the ability of foreign corporations to challenge U.S. laws, among others.

One standard will guide the AFL-CIO: U.S. trade policy must serve the interests of America’s working families and workers around the globe.

Contact: Esmeralda Aguilar 202-637-5018