The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor federation, praised Hillary Clinton for coming out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying her opposition would be crucial to preventing the 12-nation trade deal from winning congressional approval.
“America’s working people are very pleased that Senator Clinton is opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I applaud her for taking this step and choosing to embrace workers’ values. Her decision is a critical turning point, and will be invaluable in our effort to defeat TPP,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
The deal, which would lower tariffs and other trade barriers among the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations, has long been a contentious issue between Clinton and organized labor, which loathes free-trade policies. Trumka and other labor leaders had pushed Clinton for months to come out against the trade deal.
The Democratic presidential front-runner had refused to do so until Wednesday, though she did offer some critical comments and indicated that the deal’s final terms must address liberal groups’ concerns. She nevertheless argued that because the terms of deal weren’t complete, she would have to hold off on a final decision. That stance could no longer be maintained after Monday, when the Obama administration announced that the negotiations had been concluded.
The issue placed Clinton in a tight spot. She had to choose between breaking with the White House, potentially helping to undermine a major policy initiative of President Obama’s, or alienating several key liberal constituency groups, chief among them labor unions, whose support she would need to fend off Sen. Bernie Sanders’ rival primary bid. Sanders has drawn much of his strength from groups who oppose the deal.
The Pacific trade deal was one of the main topics during a private meeting Clinton had with the AFL-CIO’s executive council in July involving the labor federation’s presidential nomination. After the meeting, Trumka issued a statement saying that it would not make an endorsement until much later in the primary.
Obama sees the agreement’s passage as crucial to his trade agenda and has pushed Congress to back the deal. Liberal groups oppose it, arguing it will accelerate outsourcing of jobs and damage the economy.
Clinton has a complicated history with international trade. Her husband, Bill Clinton, signed the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement in 1994. As Obama’s secretary of state, she was involved in the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
