Vietnam is prime example of why we need free trade

As a longtime labor activist and first generation Vietnamese-American, you might be surprised to find me advocating for trade promotion authority for the president – and supporting deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Yet this background is exactly what led me to help launch the Progressive Coalition for American Jobs earlier this year – to make the progressive case for trade that is both free and fair. And while Vietnam has frequently been used as a line of attack by opponents of these efforts, it’s actually a prime example of why we should all get on board with the President’s trade agenda. 

Despite the doi moi economic reforms initiated in the late 1980s, Vietnam is currently a very closed economy. But it has an official labor union. And compared to other developing or recovering nations, it has codified labor regulations and workplace standards. In fact, the Vietnamese General Confederation of Labor represents nearly 8 million workers nationwide who have had the right to strike since 1995 – a right which workers have increasingly exercised in the last decade – and factories in export-processing zones are required to form unions. Still, we can do much more to ensure Vietnamese workers have a voice on the job – and to pave the way for improvements in wages, basic benefits, and workplace safety.

{mosads}The ugly truth is Vietnamese workers are currently paid pennies on the dollar compared to their counterparts in the U.S. and elsewhere. And the conditions under which they work can be abysmal as well. I’ve witnessed these realities firsthand: row upon row of astonishingly young-looking textile workers embroidering miles of fabric with no break in sight; auto workers squeezed in eight to a room in narrow barracks shaped more like cabins on a ship than accommodations on land; rickshaw drivers struggling to survive on a monthly haul of less than $100 U.S. These experiences were eye-opening and humbling – and they set our way of life here in the United States into sharp relief.

But the way to change things – to lift workers everywhere higher – isn’t to ignore them or to effectively close our markets to the goods that support their livelihoods and sustain their families. The way to change things is to engage, to push the envelope, and to motivate our global trading partners with sticks as well as carrots. That’s a key component of the TPP, which requires countries to adhere to fundamental labor rights specified by the International Labor Organization and will establish a mechanism through which the public can raise concerns directly with TPP governments if they fail to meet these commitments. And President Obama has made it clear that if countries don’t abide by the rules of the TPP or any other trade agreement we negotiate in the future, they’re out. It’s as simple as that. 

At the same time, we have to ensure the exchange of goods and services between my motherland and my homeland is relatively balanced and absolutely fair. That doesn’t mean requiring dollar-to-dollar parity on imports and exports – the $25 billion trade reality is we cannot compete on the price of products made at lower costs in Vietnam like clothing, shoes, and bedding. But there is also value to American consumers having the opportunity to purchase things they need and want for dramatically lower prices than would otherwise be possible. And the higher-level, higher-paying advanced manufacturing jobs that drive design and innovation – jobs that are seeded by Americans and led by American-based companies – can continue to guide commerce and trade with Vietnam and other nations from the top. Just earlier this month, Nike announced its commitment to create as many as 10,000 new jobs dedicated to these pursuits.

These are central tenets of the trade agenda President Obama is championing: Improve the lives of workers across the globe, level the playing field for American workers, and pave the way for continued innovation here at home.  

Over eight years in the labor movement, I was honored to stand with Houston janitors, Bay Area security officers, nurses and other hospital workers from coast to coast – and I believe deeply in the power of collective action to change the world. I also understand the concerns that have been raised by my union brothers and sisters about the lasting impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement and their skepticism that any new trade deal would yield better results. But I fundamentally don’t believe that the idea that something is hard to do means we shouldn’t try. America is better than that. 

When it comes to trade, Vietnam, and the role America must play in shaping the future of the global economy, the path forward couldn’t be more clear. In the words of President Obama, “We can’t stand on the beaches and stop the global economy at our shores. We’ve got to harness it on our terms.” Moving ahead with trade promotion authority – and setting tough rules for Vietnam and other nations that represent 40 percent of the world’s markets through the TPP – is a great place to start.

Tran is a Democratic strategist and a founding partner at 270 Strategies. She is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants.