For Release: Friday, March 17, 2000

Yokich Blasts Gore on China, Announces Stepped-Up UAW Efforts Against Permanent Normal Trade Status for China

“It’s voodoo trade policy to argue that democracy and worker rights will trickle down to Chinese citizens if the U.S. and other countries give them full partnership in the global economic community and Al Gore should know better than to jump on that big-business bandwagon,” said UAW President Stephen P. Yokich.

Yokich’s comments came in response to published reports that Vice President Gore has pledged to lobby Congress to establish permanent normal trade relations with China.

“Vague promises and good intentions aren’t enough,” Yokich added, “we didn’t need NAFTA to prove that, but it proved it anyway. Workers living standards stall at best while big stockholders and executives get even richer. That’s wrong and it’s bad economics. And a bad trade deal with China will be the biggest mistake yet.”

“We’re serious about this issue,” Yokich continued, “and that’s why we are mobilizing our members to participate in a new round of demonstrations and lobbying next month in Washington,” Yokich said.

Yokich said that the Union’s executive board is urging union members to participate in demonstrations on April 9 in support of Jubilee 2000/USA, a program advocating relief for debt ridden developing nations and, on April 12, a “No Blank Check for China” demonstration at the Capitol in opposition to granting permanent “normal” trade status to China. Both events also have the support of the AFL-CIO and many other organizations.

“We don’t care if they are Democrats or Republicans, reformers or independents, our elected officials need to know that our members support fair trade, not so-called free trade, as necessary to building a global economy which serves working families not just economic elites,” Yokich added.