In a victory for the United Steelworkers (USW) union, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Tuesday (July 14) issued a final determination that domestic tire producers are being materially injured by dumped and subsidized imports from China. The vote was split along party lines 3-3, but the commission’s regulations require that a tie vote be treated as an affirmative determination.
[Reposted from Inside US Trade | July 14, 2015]
The outcome marks the first trade remedy case in recent history to be won by labor unions without the support of at least some companies. Major tire manufacturers like Goodyear and Michelin stayed silent on the proceedings. The case covers a large volume of trade: according to the Commerce Department, the U.S. imported more than $2.2 billion worth of tires covered by the scope of the investigation in 2014.
The fact that workers had to support the trade case alone without the vocal backing of management demonstrated how companies with overseas investments increasingly have conflicting interests that make them wary about supporting such cases, according to Terence Stewart, the trade lawyer representing the union.
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