International Brotherhood of Teamsters

TEAMSTERS RESPOND TO HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

February 25, 2000

Union Questions Why U.S. Should Grant NTR to China

(Washington, D.C.) - International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa questioned the wisdom of granting China permanent Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status in light of the State Department’s Human Rights Report released today. The section of the Report on China details escalating violations of internationally recognized human rights.

The Report states that China’s "poor human rights record deteriorated markedly throughout the year," and that "the Government continued to commit widespread and well-documented human rights abuses, in violation of internationally accepted norms."

"This Report shows that China’s leaders are not improving their horrendous record on worker and human rights abuses - they are escalating it," said Hoffa. "The Clinton Administration’s willingness to continue negotiating trade deals with a country that has consistently violated human and workers’ rights sends the wrong message to the international community. The message it sends is that the U.S. is willing to put trade policy over people."

The Teamsters union opposes the trade deal and believes that China should not be granted permanent NTR status until it addresses its legacy of human and workers’ rights abuses.

"Granting China permanent NTR will put a seal of approval on one of the most brutally repressive regimes in the world and would hinder our ability to promote positive change for the people of China," Hoffa continued. "There is nothing ‘normal’ about the way China treats it citizens - so why should we treat them as ‘normal’ trading partners?"

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represent more than 1.4 million working men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.