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Search Terms: Permanent, Normal, Trade

Document 215 of 974.

May 11, 2000, Thursday

SECTION: Business; Ed. Final; Pg. 1B

LENGTH: 784 words

HEADLINE: UAL UNION GRAPPLES WITH CHINA TRADE PUSH
MACHINISTS AT DIA QUIZ ALBRIGHT, FEAR LOST JOBS

BYLINE: By Richard Williamson, News Staff Writer

BODY:

Fearing job losses to the world's largest labor force, United Airlines machinists Wednesday put Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on the defensive in her campaign for permanent normal trade relations with China.

"What is the Clinton administration going to do to protect me as a union member and everyone in this room if we open these trades up and you start exporting our jobs?" mechanic Scott Brown asked Albright at the United Cargo facility at Denver International Airport.

Citing a study that 1.1 million American jobs could be lost under permanent normal trade ties with China, Brown compared the Chinese agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada.

"I know that there are many parts of labor that object to this agreement, and I'm very saddened by that because I think that it's based on some erroneous facts and not thinking forward in terms of where our country is going," Albright said.

"Jobs were created by NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)," she said. "We will be able to export our goods directly to China, a country of 1. 3 billion people, and exports create jobs. We do not wish to export jobs."

"I do know that there are job losses in the United States, no doubt about it. But I do believe that this is a job creator."

While conceding China's record of human rights violations and severe environmental problems, Albright said "labor needs to understand that this is good. It's hard, but it is good, because it's the future."

"Exporting new products to China will mean increased air cargo for United, more business for the small and medium-sized enterprises with which you collaborate and more high-paying jobs for Colorado," she said.

With 8,500 employees in the Denver area, United is one of Colorado's largest employers and the major air carrier at Denver International Airport.

Responding to an employee's question about human rights violations, Albright said open trade is the best hope for change.

Permanent normal trade relations, "to be very frank with you, is not being done for human rights reasons," she said. "It's being done because we need to have part of a rule-based organization for trade and for national security reasons, because we need to stabilize that part of the world. But there is a human rights payout, and it comes from opening up the society."

New technologies that will allow China to improve its environment also will become more available under normalized trade, Albright said.

Without permanent normal trade relations, or PNTR, China will join the World Trade Organization but the United States will not have equal access to its markets, Albright said. That will allow countries in Europe and Asia to gain a critical trade advantage over the United States, using an agreement negotiated by the United States, she said.

Albright, who has spent two days in Denver promoting permanent normal trade relations with China, earned applause from the United machinists, but several said they still oppose the agreement.

"I'm against it," said Mike Beyer of Aurora, who is a member of the International Association of Machinists. "Every time something goes on over there, labor has to suffer for it."

China's record on human rights also bothers Beyer. "They don't treat people like human beings," he said.

John Cominiello, a ramp committee union representative, said he, too, was concerned. "When jobs are in question or could be eliminated, we need to look closely at the issue."

Another United employee of 32 years, Mike McCleeary, said he doubted the trade pact would be good for labor, but added "it's politics, and I don't really get involved in politics."

United Regional Vice President Roger Gibson, who introduced Albright, said he strongly supports the agreement.

Increased trade will add more passengers and cargo to United's new Shanghai route, he said.

"If it opens doors to China, it could be the biggest opportunity we've seen in a long, long time," Gibson said.

By influencing organized labor, Albright could indirectly sway Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, one of the undecided votes in the U.S. House of Representatives. Among the opponents, labor is considered the strongest bloc.

Reminded that DeGette is still undecided, Albright said, "I know because I'm on the phone with her every five minutes."

"This is a difficult vote," Albright said. "What I try and say to her is that this is the right vote for America.

"Sometimes there are votes - to go back to that book Profiles in Courage - where you really decide that you have been sent not only to represent the people but to take some leadership positions."

NOTES:
Contact Richard Williamson at (303) 892-5269 or williamson@RockyMountainNews.com.
Business Cover

GRAPHIC: Photo
Madeleine Albright. FILE: ARCHIVE

LOAD-DATE: May 12, 2000

Document 215 of 974.


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