Pa. steelworkers want more than just tough talk on China

Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) have both promised to get tough with China on trade policy, but steelworkers in Pennsylvania say they want more specifics from the Democratic presidential candidates before that state’s April 22 primary.

“We want to hear in detail what [the candidates] are going to do to offset the job loss that we are seeing,” said Chuck Rocha, national political director for United Steelworkers.

{mosads}The steelworkers and other groups argue that while the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been given plenty of attention by the campaigns, more focus should be given to China.

To highlight the issue, the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a group backed by steelworkers and other manufacturing groups, plans to run print advertisements announcing, “China Cheats. Pennsylvania Loses,” in several Pennsylvania newspapers leading up to the primary.

Pennsylvania is home to 175,000 current and retired steelworkers, and the union has not endorsed either Clinton or Obama since its initial favorite, former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), dropped from the race.

Obama and Clinton have taken similar positions on China trade policy, but the New York Democrat’s record on China is a bit more complicated.

While first lady, she supported her husband and then-President Bill Clinton’s call for Congress to grant China permanent normalized trade relations (PNTR), which paved the way for China’s entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001.

The normalized status ensured that tariffs on Chinese imports would not be subject to annual congressional votes on raising them. Supporters said the move helped expand the global economy, while critics point out that the U.S. trade deficit with China has since skyrocketed. The 2007 U.S. trade deficit with China was $256 million.

“I’ve looked at this, I’ve studied it, I think it is in the interests of America and American workers that we provide the option for China to go into the WTO,” Clinton said in an April 26, 2000 interview with CNN.

On the campaign trail, however, Clinton has vowed to “get tough” on China if elected president. She supports legislation that would crack down on currency manipulation by China that the steel industry and other manufacturing groups charge lowers the cost of Chinese goods.

“If you subsidize your exports and hurt our manufacturers, you’ll pay a price,” Clinton said Monday at an event sponsored by AAM.

Obama, who also spoke at the Monday event, has criticized Clinton for changing her story on China since she entered the presidential campaign. Though the PNTR and WTO votes were made before Obama entered the Senate, he has said that he would have voted against the legislation.

His campaign sent out a mailer in February to voters in Ohio attacking Clinton’s record of support for NAFTA and permanent normal trade relations with China. Clinton responded by suggesting that Obama was misconstruing her position.

Congress voted to give China the status in 2000 after a bruising battle with labor groups. Almost twice as many Democrats opposed the bill as supported it, despite the backing of then-President Clinton.

The U.S. has lost 3 million manufacturing jobs in the decade, and unions blame the losses on trade. Skeptics argue many of the job losses are due to automation and other factors.

Polls in Pennsylvania continue to show Clinton ahead of Obama, who has struggled in recent days to explain comments about blue-collar workers turning to anti-trade sentiment out of bitterness.

Pennsylvania holds its primary on April 22.

The issue of trade with China could also be a key to several uncommitted superdelegates in the state. Five House Democrats in Pennsylvania have yet to endorse Obama or Clinton.

Among them is Rep. Mike Doyle, whose district includes Pittsburgh. He said that many of his constituents don’t see the U.S.-China economic relationship as “a level playing field.”

Although Clinton supported PNTR years ago, Doyle doesn’t think that will handicap her in his state.

He also said her position on China isn’t much different from Obama’s.

“Hillary has as many unions supporting her as Obama. Clinton isn’t labor’s perfect candidate, but both candidates are very similar,” he said.

Uncommitted Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire, whose district is northwest of Pittsburgh, said job losses to overseas labor markets like China are a critically important issue for western Pennsylvania.

He said he would not endorse before the primary, and that he would “engage the candidates directly” on how they intend to handle China.

The three other uncommitted House Democrats in Pennsylvania are Reps. Robert Brady of Philadelphia, Tim Holden in southeast Pennsylvania and Chris Carney, whose district is in the northeast corner of the state.