Labor Agreements in the United States

Labor Agreements and the State Laws

Labor Agreements with the European Union: the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP)

United States trade agreements are designed to prevent a race to the bottom on labor protections. We include strong labor commitments to help ensure that increased levels of trade and investment with our partners are not being driven by a weakening of worker rights. Trading partners must not only have laws and regulations on their books that recognize fundamental labor rights; they must also enforce them. U.S. businesses can’t compete fairly if their foreign competitors aren’t required to provide their workers the same levels of protection afforded workers in the United States.

The United States and Europe already maintain high levels of protection for their workers. T-TIP should reflect this shared commitment, which may become a model for others to follow, and encourage even greater transatlantic cooperation.

For more information on trade and labor, visit https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/labor.

Resources

Further Reading

• Information about Labor Agreements in the Gale Encyclopedia of American Law.