Join Tonight's Twitter Storm About the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Activists are turning up the volume on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and making sure that more of America’s working families learn about this trade and globalization deal being negotiated by 12 countries (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Japan, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States). The deal, which is shaping up to be a “supersize” North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), could affect everything from wages and job creation, to food safety, prescription drug costs, clean air and water, worker bargaining power and even the ability of states to prefer American-made products.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media (owned by the same big corporations that would reap huge benefits from this deal) aren’t reporting much about the TPP. In particular, they aren’t reporting the devastating impact that a poorly negotiated deal could have on the U.S. textile and automobile industries—and all the jobs that could be lost in the process. The United States already has lost about 2.1 million middle-class manufacturing jobs due to poor trade policies with China—we can’t afford to trade away any more middle-class jobs. But the TPP is almost at the end of negotiations and its backers are hoping to push it through Congress quickly using a renewal of an undemocratic process called “fast track,” which limits Congressional debate, input and accountability. To fight this corporate giveaway, more workers must speak up for a better trade policy and a better, more democratic process than the outmoded fast-track.
So union members, Occupy activists, GMO and food safety activists, health advocates, consumers—working people across the spectrum—are gathering on Twitter tonight to explain why they care about the TPP and U.S. trade policy and to encourage more people to take action.
How can you help?
1) Join in the Twitter storm by following @ cdrakefairtrade and @ TPPMediaMarch . Then, tweet about the TPP using #TPP, #TPPTuesday and #FastTrack between 9 and 10 p.m. EDT (6-7 p.m. PDT) tonight and every Tuesday.
You can also tweet about it with one easy click .
2) Sign the petition demanding a better trade deal at aflcio.org/fair-tpp .
3) Share the TPP video on your Facebook page, in your Twitter stream or by email.
4) Talk to at least one person face to face about the TPP. Encourage them to learn more here: aflcio.org/issues/trade .
