CLEVELAND, January 30 — On January 31, Teamsters across the country are taking action to oppose Fast Track by calling and emailing their Representatives and Senators. We need to make sure Congress doesn’t pass Fast Track, which would make it easier for job-killing trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership to become law.
On January 31, the Teamsters will join the Stop Fast Track Coalition in an Inter-Continental Day of Action across the United States and Canada. Members of the Teamsters Rail Conference, including BLET General Committees of Adjustment, State Legislative Boards, and Divisions, as well the BLET Auxiliary and retirees, are encouraged to participate in events which can be found here.
Fast-track legislation would require that Congress only take a quick up-or-down vote on secret trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and would not allow such agreements to be amended. It limits Congress’ constitutionally mandated oversight of such trade deals and leaves it for others to decide what’s best for America. The result is fewer good-paying U.S. jobs and unsafe food and products for those in this country.
The battle to stop Fast Track legislation is ongoing, and BLET and Rail Conference members can join along side Teamster Local Unions and Joint Councils in standing up against Fast Track in the following ways:
1. Contact your area members of Congress and tell them to vote NO on Fast Track (H.R. 3830). Talking points are available here.
2. Encourage your members to use the Teamster Fast Track Hotline (1-888-979-9806) to call their member of Congress and tell them to vote NO on Fast Track (H.R. 3830). Flyers that can be distributed at worksites are available here.
3. Ask Teamster members to visit the Teamsters “Fast Track is the Wrong Track” website and sign our petition against Fast Track here. They can also send an email to their member of Congress on this site and sign up for text message updates.
You can share your Day of Action efforts with the BLET National Division’s Facebook page by emailing: Bentley@ble-t.org.
Thank you for your efforts to stop Fast Track. If you have any additional questions, please contact the IBT’s Department of Field and Political Action at (202) 624-6993.
For more info, please visit the IBT’s Fast Track website.