“Regarding the labour provisions, it’s a step in the right direction to see that the U.S. government is promoting core ILO standards such as the right to collective bargaining. And the proposal that labour and environmental standards should be enforceable is also a positive development. But the other language makes the burden of proof too high, and the scope too limited. No labour violation complaint would ever be successful if violations of labour rights must be proven in a ‘sustained or recurring’ manner, and the environmental provisions offer no objective standards to enforce. And all these obligations should not merely apply in a manner affecting trade or investment.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Trade
May 2, 2017
“The TPP is about strengthening the rights of corporations at the expense of citizens, workers, and the environment. The costs of ratifying the TPP far outweigh any small benefit that may be gained. -- Larry Brown, NUPGE President
February 15, 2017
CETA was passed with no evidence whatsoever of any benefit arising for the people of either the EU or Canada. CETA is good because it is good, and it is good because it is good. One can hear more sophisticated reasoning in almost any kindergarten class.
Ottawa (15 Feb. 2017) — The CETA Scorecard stands at Multinational Corporations 1, the People 0. But the game isn’t nearly over.
February 9, 2017
“Last federal election Canadians voted overwhelmingly against policies that fuel income inequality. Now a federal government advisory council is making recommendations that fly in the face of what Canadians voted for.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President.
October 19, 2016
"The negotiators cannot ignore and devalue the reasonable and legitimate criticisms that have been continually raised by citizens throughout Canada and Europe.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
September 15, 2016
Canada must not ratify ‘fundamentally flawed’ European trade pact.
September 15, 2016
The release of the promised study on the economic impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) does not address most concerns about the proposed international trade agreement.
August 15, 2016
New report prepared by legal experts and published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives find that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) seriously undermines the future of Canada's public post office.
August 5, 2016
"The TPP copyright provisions, if ratified, could potentially “lead to millions of dollars in royalty payments being transferred out of Canada, the increased criminalization of copyright law, and a loss of policy flexibility for future Canadian copyright reforms." — Michael Giest, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa
June 28, 2016
At NUPGE's 2016 Convention author Paul Mason told delegates that “Neoliberalism’s 35-year cycle is coming to an end, but we might also be at the end of a much longer cycle,” he said. “This new cycle might be as revolutionary as the rise of the printing press.”