1245’s Jammi Juarez and Fabrizio Sasso from CLC holding signs.
1245 members were out in force on April 9 outside Congressman Ami Bera’s Sacramento office to protest the proposed ‘fast-tracking’ of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that has been described by many as a power grab by big corporations. It is currently supported by the President and several members of Congress. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is leading the opposition.
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, who also opposes the deal, has said:
“If you haven’t heard much about the TPP, that’s part of the problem right there. It would be the largest trade deal in history – involving countries stretching from Chile to Japan, representing 792 million people and accounting for 40 percent of the world economy – yet it’s been devised in secret.
“Lobbyists from America’s biggest corporations and Wall Street’s biggest banks have been involved but not the American public. That’s a recipe for fatter profits and bigger paychecks at the top, but not a good deal for most of us, or even for most of the rest of the world.”
1245’s Rene Cruz-Martinez and Nilda Garcia.
1245’s Nilda Garcia described the scene outside Congressman Bera’s office:
“The turn out was great! We made our voices heard and actually had Ami Bera district director Faith Whitmore come out and engage conversations with us regarding our views of TPP. She was extremely thankful and appreciated our efforts. Faith also shared with us how she use to go out to rallies and do exactly what we were doing and she thanked us for it. She also made it clear that she couldn’t speak for the representative but she will definitely pass the message to him.”
Communications Workers of America Legislative Political Director Robert Longer, along with other labor activists, environmentalists, veterans, and retirees, hand delivered a “prescription” for Ami Bera regarding TPP concerns and to urge him to oppose it. IBEW 1245 members in attendance were René Cruz-Martinez, Steve Marcotte, Jammi Juarez and Nilda Garcia.
Steve Marcotte holds a sign alongside Nilda Garcia.