In recent decades, income and wealth have become more unequal, both among and within nations. That worsening inequality has contributed to a growing backlash against the “Washington consensus” of unchecked globalization. The AFL-CIO is among those rejecting that “consensus.” The current system of international trade and investment has failed to deliver equitable, democratic, and sustainable growth.The AFL-CIO believes that the current system must be fundamentally transformed. Working with the international trade union movement, we have intensified our support for the development of strong and stable democracies that can foster growing domestic economies. The agenda we propose links market access to enforceable core workers’ rights, as defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO). This is an important step toward building strong democracies and distributing the benefits of globalization more broadly. This approach to economic development is good for workers in the United States and around the world.
