At the recent 41st Grand Lodge Convention, delegates from across North America heard from experts about the vital issue of reshaping the economy and trade policies to better serve working families. Two standout sessions addressed the pressing need for fair economic and trade reforms.
The first session, “Common Sense Economics,” was led by Beth Myers and Drew Waxman from the AFL-CIO. This engaging discussion highlighted the critical state of current economic frameworks, which often prioritize corporate interests over workers’, emphasizing the necessity for major reforms. Myers and Waxman passionately spoke about the “rigged corporate rules” that have disadvantaged working families for too long, calling for immediate action to overhaul these frameworks.
A key part of the presentation focused on mobilizing support for transformative actions both locally and globally, aiming to empower workers and bring about significant positive change for the labor force.
The second critical session was conducted by Lori Wallach, Director of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project and Senior Advisor to the Citizens Trade Campaign. Wallach delivered a compelling argument for the shift towards fair trade policies that genuinely support workers, instead of the existing agreements that undermine their interests.
Highlighting the IAM’s historical opposition to unfavorable trade deals like NAFTA, Wallach rallied support for the development and adoption of fair and equitable trade policies that would protect the rights and needs of workers in the U.S. and abroad.
“Too many of your members, too many of your Industries are heavily impacted by free trade,” said Wallach. “We are not against fair trade because too many of our members rely on the ability for their products to be sold overseas, but it has to be fair trade, it can’t be free trade.”
The IAM 41st Grand Lodge Convention has set the stage for significant advocacy and action aimed at creating a fairer economy and trade system. It clearly signals that the time for change is now, and working families deserve to be at the forefront of this transformation.
The post Strengthening Economic and Trade Policies to Empower Working Families: Highlights from the IAM 41st Grand Lodge Convention appeared first on IAMAW.