In his latest MoveAmerica blog, AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Edward Wytkind says, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

“That’s our message to U.S. government trade negotiators as they enter into talks on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP, with the European Union.

“We’ve seen how balanced global trade can create good jobs, boost the economy, and open new markets. But we’ve also seen how trade done the wrong way can ravage industries that are pillars of our economy, destroy middle-class jobs, and even threaten our security.”

“Recently, I was invited to represent transportation labor at a high-level joint EU-US regulatory forum. This forum was designed to bring various interests into one room to discuss key issues revolving around the TTIP negotiations.

“Our message was a simple one: keep aviation . . . issues off the table. The Europeans want to include them in negotiations, a position that shouldn’t surprise anyone given the EU’s attempts in 2010 to again change how foreign entities invest in our airlines.”

Wytkind continues, “Current aviation laws protect U.S. air carriers and employees from unfair competition, preserve basic labor rights, and ensure America’s status as a world leader in air transportation. I haven’t seen a good argument in favor of changing our current policy, unless the objective is to inject unfair competition. Ask an out-of-work auto, steel, or aerospace worker why trade policy matters.”

Read the blog in its entirety.