The AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department also joined the global trade fight in New Orleans by condemning the legislative proposal before Congress to grant China what is referred to as permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR) to replace the current annual review of China's trade policies and overall conduct. The reason for this action is simple if you take a closer look at the real China.

The Chinese government continues its policy of harsh repression of democratic freedoms, its intolerance for independent labor unions, its sale of nuclear technology and missiles to rogue nations, and its illegal export of goods produced in forced labor camps. How can anyone believe that a nation with this record of conduct should now be unconditionally welcomed into the global economy with open arms? The labor movement has rightly said no.

The BMWE joined the Teamsters, the Air Line Pilots, the Machinists, the Teachers, the Steelworkers, the Building and Construction Trades unions, the Service Employees and all AFL-CIO member unions in support of a massive effort to defeat China NTR and to seek overall changes in today's perverse rules of global trade. This campaign isn't only about protecting U.S. manufacturing jobs, but is actually about protecting future generations of American workers in every job sector from the ravages of a global economy that is designed around a grand plan to lower workers' jobs, rights and wages.

This campaign will counter Corporate America's phony march under the banner of free trade by educating our members on and exposing the real motives of big business: to advance their agenda of privatization of public services, deregulation, unfettered free trade, dismantling of social supports and the destruction of collective bargaining.

It will shine a spotlight on how these big corporations wage war on American soil and worldwide on the right of workers to freely form and join unions. At the same time it will put on display how they have forced Third World nations into a competition for exports that has been nothing less than a race to the bottom in wages and working conditions, and environmental and safety protection. And worst of all, it will demonstrate how their pursuit of new business opportunities has produced an irresponsible indifference to China's practice of religious and political persecution, worker exploitation and imprisonment of union activists. The records of these corporate giants today are insults to the generations of American workers who literally built many of these companies from almost nothing.

We know the global economy is rewarding a few profiteers, wealthy families and, in many cases, dictators, but working families worldwide are not reaping the reward and in fact are paying the price. For the labor movement, the test is whether globalization increases freedom, promotes democracy, helps to lift the poor from poverty and, ultimately, works for working families. Clearly, the global market that has emerged in the last 30 years fails that test.

The time has come to rewrite the rules for the world economy by waging a smart, aggressive Campaign for Global Fairness that stops those out to leave working families behind. We want global growth and development that works for everyone. We want enforceable rules to regulate global competition in a way that places value on people, not simply profits. And we want international financial reforms that support progressive growth and development, not the lowering of labor standards and repression of basic human rights.

The campaign as launched in February will:

• Undertake a program of broad-based education with our members and our leaders, and extend it to our allies and the general public;
• Fight to make workers' rights and human rights a mainstay of our country's trade and investment agreements, with the defeat of permanent NTR with China our most immediate goal;
• Seek cohesive and effective international solidarity with our brothers and sisters in emerging and developed nations and join them in their struggles to build strong unions; and,
• Launch new initiatives to hold multi-national corporations accountable by demanding that the employers with which we bargain adopt a recognized code of practice throughout their global operations and disclose the location of their affiliates, joint venture partners and contractors internationally, especially in China.

The BMWE agrees that it is time to stop multi-national corporations from using the globalized economy as a source for cheaper and cheaper labor, pitting worker against worker in a cruel contest for higher profits. And corporations must not be allowed to drive artificial wedges between working families in our country and those in other countries, especially in nations where economic development is just beginning.

As the first step toward making the global economy work for working families, American workers must mobilize to defeat permanent NTR with China. I know that BMWE members will do their part to affect the outcome.