“This agreement could have represented an opportunity to demonstrate real and meaningful change when it comes to building a fresh, new trade agenda,” said Buffenbarger. “Sadly, it will further empower the same old trans-national business interests that are all too eager to shift more U.S. production jobs to countries like South Korea, China, and Mexico.”    

IAM Statement regarding proposed U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement: “The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), strongly opposes the trade deal announced last Friday concerning the United States and South Korea. “The agreement, which must be approved by Congress, fails to meet the many concerns we have raised with respect to NAFTA-style trade agreements and could not come at a worse moment for the millions of unemployed workers in the United States.

"It is our firm belief that the last thing U.S. workers and our nation’s economy needs is another flawed trade agreement built on the disastrous framework of NAFTA. This agreement raises serious concerns for our members who produce a variety of manufactured products, including those related to aerospace.

“The IAM maintains this agreement could have represented an opportunity to demonstrate real and meaningful change when it comes to building a fresh, new trade agenda. Sadly, it will further empower the same old trans-national business interests that are all too eager to shift more U.S. production jobs to countries like South Korea, China, and Mexico. The current deal falls woefully short of addressing fundamental objections that have been repeatedly raised by the IAM. Among other things, the labor chapter fails to make any improvements on the inadequate Bush labor standards which were implemented in the Peru agreement over three years ago.