Repeal NAFTA & Withdraw From WTO (old version)
Note: This is an old resolution that has been superceded by a new version.
WHEREAS, Participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) has meant a race to the bottom for workers, family farmers and the environment, causing a $418 billion trade deficit and a loss of over 500,000 jobs; and
WHEREAS, Free trade has encouraged companies in the U. S. to leave the country in search of low wages, low commodity prices, anti-union climates, and lax environmental laws; and
WHEREAS, Free trade has stocked our retail shelves with goods produced by foreign workers under harsh working conditions that would be illegal if found in this country; and
WHEREAS, NAFTA shifts power away from state and local government and directly challenges our U. S. Constitution, as in the case when our "Buy American" laws were challenged by other countries; and
WHEREAS, Free trade favors multinational corporations, not citizens or communities and;
WHEREAS, Free trade agreements are not fair and beneficial to U. S. agriculture and are a threat to our national food security; and
WHEREAS, The September 2003 Cancun WTO negotiations on agricultural subsidies, domestic supports and market access and special treatment for developing nations were a failure and caused breakdown in overall negotiations; and
WHEREAS, Expansion of the General Agreement on Trades in Services (GATS) leaves water supplies, electrical services, healthcare, and education unprotected from the greedy tactics of multinational corporations; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That we support measures to restore control of trade from multinational corporations to the jurisdiction of the U.S. government and for the benefit of U.S. citizens, by:
* Immediately withdrawing from NAFTA and the WTO
* Opposing unfair "free trade" agreements including the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
* Opposing expansion of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
* Urging Congress to work for fair trade agreements that are beneficial to U.S. workers and farmers, and that protect the environment and our local economies.