Mexican Trucks as the New Dubai Ports Deal

by: Matt Stoller

Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 13:55

The Teamsters have been complaining and organizing against a Bush administration move to let Mexican trucks into the US (their campaign site is here). Basically, the Bush administration cherry picked a small number of safe Mexican trucks and is letting them in under a pilot program to assess whether cross-border trucking is safe. When there are very few safety problems, Bush will open the border to all the unsafe Mexican trucks, even though that's probably against the law.

The plan to let Mexican trucks operate throughout the United States has prompted a war of words and legal papers between the Bush administration and Jim Hoffa, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Hoffa and his allies at the Sierra Club and Public Citizen have sued in federal court to stop the government from issuing permits to Mexican freight haulers. Their lawyers argued in court that Mexican trucks pose a danger on the roads and threaten increased human and drug smuggling.

It's a travesty, as are many things in this administration. The goal is to reduce the leverage of unionized truckers and increase the power of big business at the expense of consumers, drivers, and workers. Shocker I know. Now, I'm not sure, but I bet if someone polled this fight it'd be one of those 80/20 gut level angry issues that cuts across partisan lines. Chris Hayes has done a fascinating story about the NAFTA superhighway, a completely mythical monstrous road designed to cut through the American heartland and bring America into a North American Union government. I'm not kidding. It's a huge issue for the super-patriotic right, and you can tell this is the case by the politicians stepping up on it.

Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Boyda of Kansas, Republican Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, and Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio are all deeply connected to the populist streak that is anti-NAFTA, and they are all outspoken on this one. I think it's a winner, just like the Dubai ports deal. Unlike the Dubai deal, though, this narrative is very pro-union. I would pick this fight, Senator Schumer.

Matt Stoller :: Mexican Trucks as the New Dubai Ports Deal

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Mexican Trucks as the New Dubai Ports Deal | 7 comments

Put Pressure on the Senate (0.00 / 0)

Thanks Matt for a great post. You are so right to look beyond what happens Thursday -- yes, this Thursday -- when the first Mexican trucks roll across the border.

This plan is bad for labor, bad for the environment and bad for anyone who drives on America's highways.

The DOT's IG holds all the cards right now, and you can bet he is being pressured big time by his bosses in the administration. The House has already voted 411-3 to block this so-called pilot project. Now it's up to the Senate.

They must act now. Use the link in my signature below, or the link in the post above to send a message.

Be One in a Million Voices Calling for Passage of the Employee Free Choice Act

by: TeamsterPower @ Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 13:39:42 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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thanks (0.00 / 0)

thanks so much Matt for such a great post - people need to wake up to this and I'm grateful that Boyda has been working hard on this from day one - despite republicans who constantly say that this doesn't exist.

by: alicescheshirecat @ Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 13:54:50 PM CDT

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There is an environmental issue here too (0.00 / 0)

Insects can migrate with the trucks and especially with produce as well. California used to be very strict inspecting produce coming in from other states, but Mexico is a big source of insect pests. This will only get worse with global climate change, as the habitat for many insects shifts northward.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

by: Mimikatz @ Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 15:14:53 PM CDT

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How about Cananda trucking! (0.00 / 0)

I don't hear the same roar about trucking from Canada. But probably not. They don't have brown skin. How do you spell racism?

Clinton in '08. Or give Carter a 2nd term. Vote for Obama!

by: Joliepoint @ Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 15:59:15 PM CDT

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What is the average wage (4.00 / 2)

for Canadian truckers? For Canadian port workers? Are they unionized? What are the safety regulations like in Canada compared to Mexico?

While it's pretty clear that the immigration demagogues are driven by racism, it's a lot less clear that racism is at play here, at least on the left.

by: jsw @ Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 16:57:21 PM CDT

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i'm sure (0.00 / 0)

that's the line the wingnuts will use, thanks for the heads-up.

by: Matt Stoller @ Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 19:14:38 PM CDT

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Canadian trucks (0.00 / 0)

have been rolling for years. Having grown up on the boarder, I've seen them and my uncle drives into Toronto when he carries liquids (he transports hazardous liquids or milk, I know, odd, huh?). I saw Ontario trucks on Route 90 in advance of NAFTA and yes, they were union which was always dominantly displayed on the trucks I saw.

But, all of this is anecdotal. So, perhaps, you should ask Teamsters Canada http://teamsters-can...

by: bendygirl @ Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 07:03:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]