Resolution 2026-03 in Support of the PNW Cross-Border Day of Solidarity for a People’s Trade Agenda

Resolution in Support of the PNW Cross-Border Day of Solidarity for a People’s Trade Agenda

Resolution 2026-03

WHEREAS, the Pacific Northwest has a long and strong history of resistance to corporate-centered “free trade,” including the 1999 Battle of Seattle WTO protests;

WHEREAS, more than 150,000 jobs have been lost in Washington and Oregon combined since NAFTA, many of these were union jobs in manufacturing, agriculture, and increasingly, service sector industries;

WHEREAS these outsourced jobs are being moved to low-wage nations with abysmal records on human and labor rights;

WHEREAS, labor is a strong supporter of the fair-trade movement, and union support has been crucial in countering corporate-driven trade;  

WHEREAS, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is currently being negotiated, which will impact the economic rules of North America, accounting for 30% of all U.S. exports, impacting jobs, wages, labor rights, consumer privacy, environmental policy, “digital trade” and more; 

WHEREAS, these negotiations have been kept from the public, preventing public scrutiny and accountability; 

WHEREAS, the three countries will be meeting in early July 2026 to propose amendments to the USMCA;

WHEREAS, working people are on the frontlines of being impacted by trade, especially in such a trade-dependent region, it is crucial that they are part of these discussions and decisions that will affect their lives; 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Pierce County CLC endorses the Washington Fair Trade Coalition’s USMCA events and activities, culminating in the PNW Cross-Border Day of Solidarity for a People’s Trade Agenda on May 30; 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Pierce County CLC encourages affiliates to encourage attendance of the events in the lead up and during the Cross-Border Days of Solidarity in May