top of page
Search

NAFTA gets worse for Canadians under USMCA

  • Writer: Micheal Mcrae
    Micheal Mcrae
  • Oct 5, 2018
  • 1 min read

Given a generational opportunity to revamp NAFTA, the Trudeau government has fallen short on its promise to negotiate the modern, progressive trade deal that Canadians deserve. The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is anything but “progressive”, and it will set Canada back on critical priorities like Pharmacare.

CUPE applauds the elimination of Chapter 11, the ISDS (investor-state dispute settlement) mechanism from NAFTA, which CUPE has long fought to have removed, though it is regrettable that Mexico will remain subject to ISDS provisions. Under Chapter 11, Canada became the most-sued government in the developed world. Governments in Canada were sued almost 40 times for exercising and upholding their own democratic decision-making, dishing out close to $250 million in public money to private corporations.

However, it is disappointing that the agreement does not meet or even come close to the progressive benchmarks that the Liberal government set for itself on NAFTA. “Mr. Trudeau made a great show about negotiating strong, enforceable chapters on gender, labour, indigenous rights and the environment. But when push came to shove, he has come up empty-handed once again,” said CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer Charles Fleury.

It is also extremely disappointing to see patent protections extended for biologics, which will drive drug costs up dramatically, and threaten the viability of a national Pharmacare plan. “The Liberals have talked a big game about Pharmacare and making life-saving medication more affordable for Canadians,” said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. “But behind the scenes they’ve been complicit in allowing the cost of prescription drugs to skyrocket, and extending patent protections doesn’t help.”


 
 
 

Recent Posts

See All
WAGING AHEAD NOTICE

Every Union Member who is available should be out at the Legislative Building 10800-97 Avenue on October 24, 2024 form 11:30am to 12:30pm...

 
 
 
More bargaining turmoil in Calgary

Library workers walk out of talks after ‘insulting’ offer CALGARY – The union representing library workers in the City of Calgary has...

 
 
 

Commentaires


Featured Posts
Recent Posts
Search By Tags
Follow Us
  • Facebook Classic
  • Twitter Classic
  • Google Classic

© 2023 by Success Consulting. Proudly created with Wix.com.

bottom of page