Make no mistake, we demanded a trade deal that benefits workers and fought every single day to negotiate that deal; and now we have secured an agreement that working people can proudly support. #USMCA
I am grateful to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies on the USMCA working group, along with Senate champions like Sherrod Brown and Ron Wyden, for standing strong with us throughout this process as we demanded a truly enforceable agreement.
I also commend Ambassador Robert Lighthizer for being a straight shooter and an honest broker as we worked toward a resolution.
Working people are responsible for a deal that is a vast improvement over both the original NAFTA and the flawed proposal brought forward in 2017.
For the first time, there truly will be enforceable labor standards—including a process that allows for the inspections of factories and facilities that are not living up to their obligations.
The USMCA also eliminates special carve outs for corporations like the giveaway to Big Pharma in the administration’s initial proposal and loopholes designed to make it harder to prosecute labor violations.
The USMCA is far from perfect. It alone is a solution for outsourcing, inequality or climate change.
Successfully tackling these issues requires a full-court press of economic policies that empower workers, including the repeal of tax cuts which reward companies for shipping our jobs overseas.
But there is no denying that the trade rules in America will now be fairer because of our hard work and perseverance. Working people have created a new standard for future trade negotiations.
President Trump may have opened this deal. But working people closed it. And for that, we should be very proud.
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It has become clearer than ever: to save American democracy, we need democracy in the U.S. Senate.
And that means passing labor law reform and voter protection legislation with a simple 50-vote majority.
We cannot allow the minority to block the will of the American people, expressed decisively in the 2020 elections.
And we cannot afford to let any of our agenda—from democracy in the workplace to democracy at the ballot box to investments in our people—fall victim to a procedural tool conceived in segregation.
By issuing this overdue and desperately needed Executive Order on his first full day in office, @POTUS is clearly prioritizing strong #COVID19 protections for working people.
We applaud this swift action that will save lives and protect workers who face dangerous conditions daily while serving our communities.
Strong enforceable standards would require employers to develop workplace safety plans, implement science-based protection measures, train workers and report outbreaks.
In his first hours in office, President @JoeBiden has taken immediate action to secure the rights and protect the well-being of America’s working families by removing Peter Robb as @NLRB general counsel.
A union-busting lawyer by trade, Robb mounted an unrelenting attack for more than three years on workers’ right to organize and engage in collective bargaining.
His actions sought to stymie the tens of millions of workers who say they would vote to join a union today and violated the stated purpose of the National Labor Relations Act—to encourage collective bargaining.
Congratulations President @JoeBiden. Today is a great day for America’s working families as we move into an administration committed to implementing a #WorkersFirstAgenda.
As a kid growing up in Scranton and Claymont, @JoeBiden’s grandpa told him to “Keep the faith.” His grandmother would add: “Spread it! Spread the faith!” Mr. President, working people have kept the faith. And we’re ready to spread it with you. #InaugurationDay
From holding big banks accountable to advancing criminal justice reform, @VP@KamalaHarris earned the reputation of being a champion for working people. Today, she has cemented her place in history as a trailblazer. #InaugurationDay
President-elect Joe Biden has made history by nominating former Federal Reserve Board Chairwoman @JanetYellen to be the first female treasury secretary, moving away from decades of bipartisan Wall Street groupthink.
As Federal Reserve chair, @JanetYellen made critical decisions that prioritized jobs and wages for all working people, including communities of color long ignored by economic policymakers.
During this prolonged pandemic that is crushing working families from coast to coast, working people welcome this proven public servant who will bring a track record of smart, pro-worker policy to the Treasury Department.
The collective hearts of America’s labor movement, particularly transportation unions, are broken by the tragic death of our brother, @TTDAFLCIO President Larry Willis.
Larry brought a love of workers and a deep understanding of transportation issues to his leadership of @TTDAFLCIO. He paid an incredible attention to detail, always looking for opportunities to win more power and prosperity for the working people who move America.
As a lawyer, congressional staff member, policy expert and worker advocate, Larry was respected across the aisle and throughout our movement.