We celebrate Labor Day to recognize all that has been accomplished because working people stood in union. This Labor Day we should all reflect on how we each can do our part to continue to work toward a world where the economy works the same for everyone. A great way to help get the conversation started is by writing a letter to the editor explaining in your own words why conversations about the new NAFTA must involve working people.

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Letter to the Editor Talking Points

• The first round of NAFTA renegotiation talks has wrapped up but the focus isn’t where it should be, which is on making sure working people across the continent can earn a living wage.

• Newly released NAFTA objectives are a repeat of the same failed trade objectives from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

• We need to replace benefits for the few with a fair deal that raises wages, stops outsourcing and provides a path to the middle class, no matter where working families live or what their background is.

• We need a transparent process in which working families have a seat at the table to ensure that our freedom to stand together is protected and that all of us can receive a fair return on our hard work.

• The AFL-CIO stands with all the working people of North America as we all demand fair trade rules that lift up working people.

Sample Letter Copy

To the Editor:

Labor Day is a day to honor all working people and to reflect on the fight for workers’ rights. One way to celebrate the contributions of working people is by taking steps not to repeat the anti-worker policies that some communities still are reeling from today, such as the terrible North American Free Trade Agreement.

NAFTA drove down the wages of workers in all three North American countries it covered and failed to establish protections for working people to join together in union for better. This anti-worker trade deal also missed the mark on environmental protections.

The NAFTA objectives from President Trump are a failure because they won’t protect jobs, establish stronger rights at work or raise wages. If the new trade deal follows this pattern, the deal will be just like the corporate-written ones Trump campaigned against during the election. The biggest nod to workers this Labor Day should be a commitment to trade deals that put working people first.

Sincerely,

[Your name]