Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)

WASHINGTON, DC — The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), and its affiliated aviation and maritime unions today urged President Obama to reject the job-killing proposals by the European Union (EU) to include aviation and maritime transport services in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement. “We are not interested in seeing the U.S. aviation […]

Dear Mr. President,

As the elected leaders of unions representing American aviation and maritime workers, we are extremely concerned by elements in the proposal for the services, investment and e-commerce chapter of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) recently released by the European Union (EU). On May 10, 2013 the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) submitted comments to USTR (attached) on behalf of the undersigned unions which urged trade negotiators to resist efforts by the EU to include air and maritime transport services in the TTIP negotiations. The proposal released by the EU on July 31, 2015 confirmed that the EU is seeking to use the TTIP process as a means to undermine and dismantle many critical U.S. aviation and maritime laws and regulations at the expense of U.S. workers.

[As published by TTD President Edward Wytkind in Aviation Week Aug. 5, 2013] When you operate the world’s safest, most advanced and most lucrative aviation system—as the U.S. does—others are naturally going to want a piece of that pie. It is up to the U.S. government, therefore, not to slice it up at the expense […]