Mexican Trucking Program Tied To North American Union

Many feel that all the safety issues have not been addressed or resolved, and what they are simply asking for is that Mexican trucks and drivers meet the same requirements as their American counterparts. Teamsters Union spokesperson Leslie Miller said, “Just because we have a free trade agreement doesn't mean people can come to our country and do business in a way that doesn't meet our standards.” Mexico lacks any effective safety standards for their drivers or trucks and has no reliable national criminal or driving database. They also have no accurate drug or alcohol policy in place and no certified testing facility. Also worrisome is that these same drivers and trucks will be granted access across the border in as little as 15 seconds as part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Free and Secure Trade System. Teamsters president James Hoffa said of the pilot project, “We believe this program clearly breaks the law. We will continue to fight for safety and national security in the courts and in the Congress.” There are to be 100 Mexican trucking companies participating in this pilot program, which is scheduled to last one year. In light of the time constraints and the number of trucks involved in the program, it may not serve as an adequate assessment of possible safety, security, and environmental concerns. Josh Dorner of the Sierra Club said, “There isn't enough evidence that the proposed pilot program will yield statistically valid results.” In this whole process, the stumbling block for some was the condition that American trucks be granted the same access to Mexico, and it appears as if new rules have been implemented to make this become a reality. A big concern of mine has always been when this program becomes fully implemented and they attempt to make it permanent, it could put thousands of American truckers out of work and severely undercut wages. This demonstration program is part of NAFTA and the corporate NAU agenda of further opening up our borders. http://stoplying.ca/articles/07/sept/090507danamextruck.php [Proofreader’s note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on September 6, 2007]

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