By Michael Aron
Chief Political Correspondent
About 150 labor leaders and trade union members rallied in Clifton today.
Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell organized the event to call attention to labor’s strong opposition to President Obama’s new trade initiative.
“Approximately 5 million United States manufacturing jobs have been lost since NAFTA took effect in 1994, and Mr. President, you cannot deny it. The numbers are the numbers,” Pascrell said.
The president wants fast track authority to negotiate a Trans Pacific Partnership or TPP with 12 Asian nations.
The Senate passed such a bill last week, with New Jersey Sens. Menendez and Booker voting against it.
The House vote is likely to come in two to three weeks.
It’s an issue where Republicans line up with the president more readily than Democrats, many of whom feel that free trade with poor countries only hurts American workers.
“Sixty cents an hour in Vietnam? Malaysia, a horrible record? These are the countries we’re making a deal with?” Pascrell asked.
The rally was held at United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1262.
Its president says the food chain is especially vulnerable to lower safety standards used overseas.
“Definitely poultry and meat will be a prime example in the transportation, how it would get here, what kind of refrigeration they would have. What kind of cleanly standards they would have. Any time you’re dealing in perishables, you run a risk,” said UFCW Local 1262 President Harvey Whille.
Pascrell says he thinks fast track still needs 25 to 30 more votes to pass in the House.
He says New Jersey Republicans Frank LoBiondo and Chris Smith are siding with the Democrats against fast track.
The business community supports the trade agreement.
The New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce sent letters to the entire Jersey delegation today urging passage.
“95 Percent of the potential buyers of products are located outside of the continental U.S.. So it’s a huge market and what we’re trying to do, which makes sense is to open up those markets so companies in New Jersey and the rest of the country can export their products,” said New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Bracken.
“We as unions are not afraid to compete. We’re not against the trade agreement. But we want fair trade. We don’t want free trade. We don’t want to give the house away,” said AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech.
It’s hard to know who’s right about free trade agreements. Obama obviously believes in it. Union leaders say look to the past — we had more and better jobs before NAFTA and TPP they say is NAFTA on steroids.