AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement today in response to the U.S Trade Representative’s (USTR) announcement of Section 301 trade investigations regarding overcapacity in manufacturing sectors and forced labor:
The AFL-CIO strongly supports the launch of USTR’s investigations into global overcapacity and forced labor. For decades, countries have flooded global industrial markets in an effort to tilt the trade balance in their favor and undermine domestic producers at the expense of union workers and their jobs. The fact that forced labor is allowed to continue as part of our global supply chain is a violation of human dignity and labor rights, and undermines American competitiveness and labor, harming both the manufacturers that refuse to participate in this exploitation and the workers who lose their jobs to it. Addressing these injustices is essential to restoring fairness, equity, and a respect for workers’ and human rights in the global supply chain. We look forward to contributing to an open and transparent investigation that will respond based on facts, not political agendas.
Contact: Mia Jacobs, 202-637-5018