Trade unions representing workers from Canada (Candian Labour Congress), Mexico (UNT) and the US (AFL-CIO) have published a joint declaration on the occasion of the NAFTA Leaders Summit held in Guadalajara, Mexico, 9-10 August 2009.
Over the last fifteen years, NAFTA has been presented as a way to bring more and better jobs to the region while reducing emigration from Mexico to the United States and Canada. However, NAFTA did not create the jobs it promised. Instead, increased trade largely benefited the corporate elite in all three countries.
The current economic crisis has exacerbated the difficult social and economic conditions that surround NAFTA, and governments need to undertake measures to address them. These include rebuilding infrastructure, using clean, renewable energy sources, re-regulating the financial sector, reforming labour legislation and strengthening public services. The union declaration also addresses a number of pressing issues, which include labour law reform, migration and development and the promotion of the rule of law.
In their conclusion, the unions say, "The time has come to recalibrate our relationship and focus on a path built upon shared economic growth and sustainable development. We hope that the Leaders Summit serves as an opportunity to lay out a new agenda for North America, one which makes our region competitive, sustainable and just, and our organizations commit to working together to promote that agenda."
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