2007-05-11 22:11:31 -

WASHINGTON, May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa released the following statement today about new trade policy guidelines forged by the Bush administration and Democratic leaders in Congress:

To my great disappointment, Democratic leaders in Congress joined with the Bush administration yesterday to announce a trade "deal" that sells out American workers.

I am baffled as to why there is such eagerness to give this president -- who is unwilling to enforce current labor and trade laws -- a victory by continuing to pass more NAFTA/CAFTA -- like trade

models that send good-paying jobs overseas.

The deal, which is wrongly dubbed "A New Trade Policy For America," does nothing to protect American jobs or help create more jobs at home. The race to the bottom will only continue.

Therefore, this "deal" is NO DEAL for the Teamsters or American workers, and we will fight like hell to oppose this shortsighted agreement.

There are many members of Congress who know the reality of having their communities destroyed and broken as a result of bad trade and globalization policies. So I question why there was so much urgency to have a "deal," especially without the support and backing of all of organized labor and the workers we represent.

We are pleased that these negotiations have resulted in enforceable labor and environmental chapters, including making core International Labor Organization standards enforceable. But this will not prevent the offshoring of jobs, nor will it lead to the creation of jobs. The Democratic majority should have delivered more to American workers.

Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters