From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Subject: "NAFTA on the =Fast Track= " (E Bernard in _Canadian Dimension_)
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 00:58:04 GMT

    "Americans are discovering that free trade is not fundamentally
    about trade, but rather it is an attempt to institutionalize the
    wider neo-liberal agenda of deregulation, destruction of the
    social safety net, and the elimination of all barriers to the free
    movement of capital .. that "free trade" is at least as much of a
    domestic policy of disciplining labor at home as it is an external
    policy of economic relations among nations.
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    "Fast track effectively circumvents the provisions of the US
    constitution which require that Senate, with full power to debate
    and amend, approve any foreign treaty by a two thirds majority.
    Here's how fast track works. [...]
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    "Fast track effectively circumvents the provisions of the US
    constitution which require that Senate, with full power to debate
    and amend, approve any foreign treaty by a two thirds majority.
    Here's how fast track works.

==================================================================
[Elaine Bernard is the director of the Trade Union Program at Harvard
University and is the past President of and long time activist in the
New Democratic Party of British Columbia, Canada.

As David Barsamian put it, "In September 1990 a rather extraordinary
event occured in teh history of North American progressive
politicsd...when, in Ontario, that country's most populous and
industrialized province, the New Democratic PArty was voted into
power"...  This historic event was effectively ignored by the
mainstream U.S. press. Elaine Bernard was interviewed in Z magazine --
by David Barsamian of _Alternative Radio_ -- an interview we hope to
bring to misc.activism.progressive... Since that interview, the NDP
has been elected provincial govenrment in British Columbia and
Saskatchewan. NDP now controls three of Canada's ten provinces as well
as the Yukon Territory. --HB]
==================================================================
[Via misc.activism.progressive from PeaceNet's trade.library]
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[Inquiries by email, please, to harelb@math.cornell.edu, for more
information about PeaceNet/EcoNet or about misc.activism.progressive]
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Topic 65        Bernard: NAFTA On Fast Track 
kmander Library of trade-related documents.      1:13 pm  Oct  9, 1992 
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From: Kai Mander <kmander@igc.org>
Subject: Bernard: NAFTA On Fast Track 

Hi, this is a column that I write for a Canadian Magazine -- it 
will probably appear at the beginning of November.  Elaine 

----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 

Elaine Bernard    CANADIAN DIMENSION Magazine   October 9, 1992 
                         NAFTA ON THE FAST TRACK 

     As Congress gears up for "fast track" consideration of the 
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), US labor and popular 
movements have started to enter the free trade debate in a 
concerted manner.  The Canada/US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which 
mobilized the Canadian labor and social movements and led to the 
creation of the Action Canada Network was simply a non-issue in the 
US.  But with the latest round of free trade talks with Mexico, 
Americans are discovering that free trade is not fundamentally 
about trade, but rather it is an attempt to institutionalize the 
wider neo-liberal agenda of deregulation, destruction of the social 
safety net, and the elimination of all barriers to the free 
movement of capital.  They are discovering what Canadians learned 
with the FTA that in the current North American context free trade 
is at least as much of a domestic policy of disciplining labor at 
home as it is an external policy of economic relations among 
nations. 

     While it is encouraging to see NAFTA become a major political 
issue in the US this fall, the anti-NAFTA forces are facing a long 
tough battle.  First, with both Clinton and Bush saying they are in 
favor of NAFTA, at least for the presidential elections, the issue 
falls into the never-never-land of US bipartisan politics.  Labor 
and progressives desperate for a win by the Democrats are loath to 
"embarrass" Clinton by pushing him on the free trade issue during 
the campaign.  Bipartisanship of the presidential candidates on 
NAFTA has sabotaged national political debate and education on the 
issue. 

     While Clinton has expressed some reservations about NAFTA and 
has said that he would seek to supplement the trade deal with 
assistance to displaced US workers and to safeguard the 
environment, for labor the political strategy is to get Clinton 
elected and then try and persuade him to seek a renegotiation of 
the deal.  However, this strategy is a very dangerous one, because 
with fast track a President holds considerable power to push the 
deal through a reluctant Congress.  Fast track effectively 
circumvents the provisions of the US constitution which require 
that Senate, with full power to debate and amend, approve any 
foreign treaty by a two thirds majority.  Here's how fast track 
works.

First, the trade deal is not classified as a treaty with a foreign
government, rather it is dealt with as an "agreement" and only the
enabling legislation is before Congress.  Both houses of Congress (and
not just the Senate) vote on the enabling legislation which is the
changes in US law, procedures, and regulation which are required to
implement the agreement.  The agreement itself is not voted on.

NAFTA, minus the schedules and appendices, is about 1,000 pages.  The
enabling legislation which will eventually be written and brought to
Congress will be about 10,000 pages.  As the enabling legislation is
not a treaty, it only requires a simple majority of both Houses.

Finally, fast track also means that no amendments, no lengthy
committee and conference procedures, no filibusters, and only a very
limited debate is permitted.  Once introduced, the NAFTA enabling
legislation must be dealt with within 90 session days.

Congress is permitted a simple YES or NO vote.  With a Democratic
President who is in favor of free trade, there will be tremendous
pressure to vote yes -- with the promise to and try and deal with the
problems in subsequent legislation.

     While fast track has pointed some labor and progressive groups 
in the direction of trying to achieve a simply rejection of the 
treaty -- or rather the enabling legislation -- for most opponents 
of NAFTA there is a growing realization that rejection alone is not 
enough.  Rather, they are hoping to use the threat of rejection to 
try and force a reconsideration of the deal -- before it reaches 
Congress and to try and ameliorate some of the worst provisions of 
the deal.  But with fast track, this requires a very rapid and 
powerful mobilization which has been somewhat muted by the 
Presidential elections. 

     Ultimately, of course, what is needed is an economic 
alternative to the corporate agenda of low wage, low skill 
international competition which NAFTA institutionalizes.  At least 
part of the alternative is  a continental agreement on fair, 
managed trade and development -- and a labor strategy that seeks to 
replace competitiveness among workers with international labor 
cooperation.  But a first step for the US labor movement is to work 
in coalition with progressive groups here in the US -- something 
that is only beginning to happen with Fair Trade Coalitions around 
the country. 
(771 words) 
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