News From USW: USW Supports Senator Rockefeller's Strengthening America's Trade Laws Act of 2007 (S.364).

WASHINGTON -- News From USW: United Steelworkers (USW) president Leo W. Gerard said today that the union is putting its full range of its legislative activism to work in support of The Strengthening America's Trade Laws Act of 2007 (S.364), introduced by Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV).

"Our members agree that this legislation includes key provisions to strengthen existing trade laws to ensure that any affected sector can seek effective relief through trade remedies," Gerard wrote in a joint letter signed with leaders of four steel industry organizations representing employees of all the major domestic producers.

The USW President has made joint visits with John Surma, chairman and chief executive officer of U.S. Steel Corp., to Congressional leaders and freshmen Senators, asserting that it's time for action now to "improve our ability to correct deficiencies" in four areas of U.S. trade policy: the dispute settlement process with the World Trade Organization (WTO); a strengthening of anti-dumping remedies; expansion on the reach of countervailing duties; and removal of the U.S. President's discretion to disregard recommendations of the International Trade Commission (ITC) in certain circumstances.

"Workers and manufacturers in all our states have found it increasingly difficult to compete in today's global markets when the odds are stacked against them because of unfair trading practices," Sen. Rockefeller said when he introduced the bill. "American industry can compete with anyone in the world when it's a fair fight."

In the joint letter transmitted to Sen. Rockefeller, the USW president and the steel groups said: "We appreciate your recognition that domestic manufacturers and their workers can compete with anyone in the world on a level playing field, but we cannot compete against governments. While the United States plays by the rules and adheres to its WTO obligations, some of our trading partners do not," they declared. "For steel and other globally competitive U.S. companies, the trade laws have been and remain an essential last line of defense against injuriously dumped, subsidized and disruptive imports from less efficient foreign producers."

Signatories on the letter included: Andrew G. Sharkey, President and CEO, American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI); Thomas A. Danjczek, President, Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA); David A. Hartquist, Counsel, Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA); and Roger B. Schagrin, Executive Director and General Counsel, Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI).

Copies of the USW and steel industry group letter to Sen. Rockefeller, a summary of S.364 and the Jan. 23, 2007 introductory statement by Sen. Rockefeller can be found at www.usw.org/.