Froman struck a positive note on meetings he has had with congressional leaders about the TPP. “The response we’re getting from the Hill, when you go through [the agreement] on a member-by-member basis, is actually quite positive,” Froman noted.
Work between the USTR and Congress is ongoing, as the administration prepares to submit implementing legislation under streamlined Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) rules. “We’re spending a lot of time up on the Hill talking to members, and we’re going through the agreement, explaining what’s in it and – now that it’s done – how their constituents will benefit if it gets passed,” Froman said.
As work in the U.S. continues on implementing legislation, other TPP nations are also working to meet their obligations under the deal. Vietnam is indicating that it is ready to surrender the monopoly that its sole labor union has in the country.
New Vietnamese unions focused exclusively on employment issues will be formed, pursuant to TPP obligations. The current labor union, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL), will still retain its political functions, VGCL Vice President Mai Duc Chinh said.
Labor concerns have topped the list of issues raised by congressional Democrats in the US, who contend that lax enforcement in the TPP and in past labor deals is detrimental to U.S. workers as well as to human rights abroad.