ICYMI: Rep. Sykes Leads Lawmakers, Labor, and Environmental Advocates in BlueGreen Alliance Call for Stronger USMCA Standards Ahead of Upcoming Trade Review

ICYMI: Rep. Sykes Leads Lawmakers, Labor, and Environmental Advocates in BlueGreen Alliance Call for Stronger USMCA Standards Ahead of Upcoming Trade Review

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Tuesday, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) led a coalition of lawmakers, labor leaders, and environmental advocates at a BlueGreen Alliance press conference at the U.S. Capitol to preview the upcoming joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which governs trade between the United States, Mexico, and Canada and presents an opportunity to assess its impact on workers, industries, and environmental standards.

The event, hosted by the BlueGreen Alliance, a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations working to expand good-paying jobs while advancing environmental and economic policy priorities, brought together Rep. Sykes, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Reps. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and Greg Casar (TX-35), along with leaders from labor and environmental organizations, including United Steelworkers, the Sierra Club, and the BlueGreen Alliance.

"Trade policy has real consequences for workers, families, and communities like those I represent in Ohio's 13th Congressional District," said Rep. Sykes. "The upcoming United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) review is an opportunity to raise standards for workers and the environment, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and ensure trade policy works for people, not just corporations. I'm proud to stand with labor and environmental leaders in calling for stronger enforcement and protections, and for a fairer North American economy that delivers good-paying jobs and healthier communities."

Lawmakers and advocates at the event underscored the need to prevent a race to the bottom in wages and environmental standards and instead ensure the agreement supports domestic manufacturing, fair competition, and strong labor protections.

"There is a terrific trade alignment between labor and environmental issues and the problem is similar," said Sen. Whitehouse. "Foreign countries cheat on their labor standards, foreign countries cheat on their environmental standards, and American competition pays the price because the goods that are manufactured with lousy environmental protections and lousy labor protections end up being cheaper. It's really important that as we undertake this joint review of the USMCA we go to battle to make sure that the provisions for labor enforcement and the provisions for environmental enforcement are strong."

"We have a unique opportunity to broker a better USMCA deal, and today, I was proud to join the BlueGreen Alliance in laying out our goals for that deal - which involves prioritizing our workers, our economy, and our environment," said Rep. Budzinski.?"When workers come first and everyone plays by the same rules, we can grow our economy, strengthen American manufacturing, and build a cleaner, more prosperous future. That is what our deal should entail and together with BlueGreen Alliance, I'm confident we can make that happen."

"The workers in my district, like workers all over this country, want better trade deals, they want clean air and clean water. These are basic things that we all demand in this country out of respect for our hard work and out of respect for our communities" said Rep. Deluzio. "This is an opportunity to have a better trade deal that doesn't treat workers and their jobs as an afterthought and doesn't treat our health, our air, our water, and our land as an afterthought."

Labor and environmental leaders also highlighted the importance of aligning trade policy with protections for workers and communities across North America.

"Our coalition works every day to develop common goals, navigate differences, and advocate collectively to end the exploitation of both workers and the environment. Nowhere has this been more necessary than on the issue of trade," said Jason Walsh, BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director. "Now is our time to fix USMCA to protect workers rights, encourage clean manufacturing, and raise labor and environmental standards across North America."

"Working people need good jobs and a clean environment," said United Steelworkers President Roxanne Brown. "We're working with our partners at the BlueGreen Alliance to ensure that the USMCA delivers on both of these crucial objectives. That will only happen when we stop corporations from shifting jobs to Mexico just to exploit the low wages and lax environmental safeguards there."

"For more than three decades, working families, our communities, and our future have been threatened by trade and economic policies that drive a race to the bottom. We know there's a better way," said Sierra Club Executive Director Loren Blackford. "While the Trump administration continues to put corporate interests ahead of people, the United States can finally take the path that creates good-paying jobs and ensure businesses compete by innovating and investing, not by cutting corners on working conditions or illegally polluting around the world. American workers and communities have waited far too long. It's time our leaders act."

The platform and a recording of the event can be found here.