[asia-apec 1317] WTO - Fears that opponents have upper hand

[APEC Monitoring Group]

>Clinton urged to help 'sell' global trade
>Political leaders fear opponents have gained upper hand
>
>Thursday, September 30, 1999
>
>By MICHAEL PAULSON
>SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
>WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
>
>
>
>
>
>WASHINGTON -- Concerned that critics of the World Trade Organization have
>taken over the debate and may eventually take over the streets, political
>leaders in Seattle and Washington, D.C., are expressing growing
>consternation that the Clinton administration isn't doing an adequate job
>defending global trade.
>
>Several Democratic officials in Washington state, including Sen. Patty
>Murray, King County Executive Ron Sims and Rep. Adam Smith, are critical of
>the administration for allegedly failing to reach out to Democratic allies
>in the environmental and labor movements who are critical of the WTO.
>
>And at a Senate hearing yesterday to discuss preparations for the World
>Trade Organization meeting that begins in Seattle Nov. 30, several top
>administration officials and senators agreed that U.S. public opinion has
>turned against unfettered global trade.
>
>"To be frank with you, this has not been an easy sell," Commerce Secretary
>William Daley said. "Many people see only layoffs. They don't see the
>payoffs of this open trading system."
>
>Clinton administration officials promise high-ranking Cabinet members will
>visit Seattle soon to outline the case in favor of global trade. They boast
>that, at the insistence of the United States, the WTO has agreed to devote
>the day before the ministerial meeting in Seattle to listening to the
>concerns of critics. They also promise that President Clinton will speak
out
>in defense of free trade, and even yesterday Clinton spoke briefly about
his
>plans for Seattle, saying that he hopes to use the WTO meeting "to raise
>working conditions for all."
>
>But state Democrats, who generally are in lockstep with the Clinton
>administration on trade policy, say they have two sets of concerns: that
the
>mainstream environmental and labor groups planning peaceful protests are
>raising legitimate criticisms that are not getting adequate attention from
>the administration, and that the more radicalized protesters planning
>disruptive activities will sully Seattle's reputation in the eyes of the
>world.
>
>The hand wringing from Seattle began two months ago, when Murray called on
>Clinton to meet with labor, environmental and consumer groups in an effort
>to "lessen the chance of disruptive confrontations." In a letter to the
>Clinton, Murray expressed "deep concern" about the planned protests, warned
>that Seattle companies are wary of supporting the WTO because of fear of
>repercussions, and told the president "a public defense from you is
>warranted and necessary."
>
>In an interview yesterday, Murray said her concerns have eased since
August,
>but she remains concerned that disruptive protests could harm Seattle's
>image.
>
>"The labor community is going to have a demonstration, and that's great,
the
>environmentalists will do the same, and that's a good way to express
>opinion, but what I don't want the outside world to see is burning of cars
>or something that presents the wrong image," she said. "I am worried that
>extreme outside groups may come in and give a flavor that isn't reflective
>of who we are to the outside world."
>
>Sims, who serves on an advisory panel to the U.S. Trade Representative's
>Office, said he has been holding a series of meetings with White House
>officials in recent weeks demanding more attention to the concerns of WTO
>critics. Many of the critics argue that the organization is inattentive to
>environmental and labor concerns, and that the United States is
surrendering
>its values in order to open markets for multinational companies.
>
>"These are not just global discussions, they're local discussions," Sims
>said. "What are they going to do to engage labor and environmentalists more
>fully than they have? Who's going to do it, and when are they going to do
>it?"
>
>Sims called on protesters not to interfere with the WTO proceedings, saying
>many of the rules to be negotiated are important to Seattle-area companies.
>But he said the trade ministers also need to heed the protesters. "The
>issues of human rights should not be ignored," he said. "The issue of
what's
>happening to the environment, and our demand that other countries not
denude
>their forests, those are legitimate issues. You can't ignore them."
>
>Smith yesterday met with other centrist Democrats to begin planning for
what
>he said will be a meeting with U.S. trade officials to seek greater
>attention to the concerns of WTO critics. Smith last year refused to back
>the Clinton administration on a key trade vote, saying that labor and
>environmental concerns were not adequately addressed.
>
>Like Murray and Sims, Smith said he welcomed "a lively debate," saying "it
>would be bad if everybody just showed up and said trade is great, so let's
>have a weeklong cheerleading exhibition." But he said he worries that the
>administration is not adequately separating isolationists, who he thinks
are
>not helpful to the debate, from those who support global trade but have
>concerns about the WTO.
>
>"The U.S. trade representative could be doing a much better job at
listening
>and trying to understand what some of the protests are about," Smith said.
>"Yes, some of these people (protesters) are just off the map and want to go
>back to the sixth century, but the bulk of them have legitimate concerns
>that the U.S. trade representative would be well-served doing a better job
>of addressing."
>
>The concern got unusual support at yesterday's Senate hearing. Agriculture
>Secretary Dan Glickman said "out there amongst the average people there is
a
>tremendous distrust and fear and negative feeling" about global trade,
while
>Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., said, "We have lost the support for
>trade liberalization in this country."
>
>Senate Finance Committee Chairman William Roth, R-Del., called for a
>stronger defense of free trade: "Protectionism is once again on the rise in
>both political parties. . . . If there ever was a time to call those who
>believe in free markets to the ramparts, now is the time."
>
>U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky defended the WTO, saying that
>it "has fully proven its value to Americans and to the world."
>
>But she also took steps to address concerns, announcing that
representatives
>of many organizations will be allowed to speak directly to the trade
>ministers the day before the formal meeting opens.
>
>"We will be looking for ways to deliver the message ourselves, and to help
>other people deliver the message as well," said Barshefsky's spokesman, Tom
>Tripp.
>
>"Everybody understands that it's important to make the connections for
>people about what trade means to them every day," Tripp said. "Those
>messages can and will be delivered by the president and his administration,
>but they also need to be delivered at every level of the economy, right
down
>to the shop floor."
>
>Barshefsky's office also employs a full-time liaison to non-governmental
>organizations, such as labor and environmental groups, and a top labor
>movement official acknowledged that the Clinton administration is
attentive.
>
>"The Clinton administration has been responsive to labor concerns . . . but
>we face enormous obstacles at the WTO in making progress with worker rights
>issues," said Thea Lee, assistant director of public policy for the
AFL-CIO.
>"Are we making enough forward progress? No, and our prospects for making
>progress in Seattle are dim."
>
>Some local officials are unfazed by the debate.
>
>"People in my view are a little bit overreacting to this," said Rep. Jim
>McDermott, D-Wash. "I lived through the Vietnam era, so I don't get
panicked
>when people say they're going to make their wishes known."
>
>Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., is also not particularly worried about the
>protesters, and suggested the news media should do the same.
>
>"We have to hope the local media doesn't spend all its time talking about
>protests," she said.
>
>But Dunn also said that in a meeting last week with top officials of The
>Boeing Co., she urged the company to do more to communicate with its
>employees about the value of trade.
>
>Mayor Paul Schell says he plans to welcome the protesters, saying "that's
>the American way.
>
>"We're trying to get people to see the positive side of this debate," he
>said. "Being the center of ideas only enriches our lives."
>
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>----
>
>
>P-I reporter Michael Paulson
>
>can be reached at 202-943-9229 or michaelpaulson at seattle-pi.com
>
>
>
>