Union Appeals Dismissal of NAFTA Lawsuit

The United Steelworkers of America filed an appeal of a federal judge’s ruling upholding the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Steelworkers are taking their case to the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Atlanta, after an Alabama U.S. District judge dismissed their attempt late last month to overturn the 6-year-old trade pact between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Steelworkers, joined by a coalition of companies and other unions, say NAFTA is unconstitutional because it is a treaty and should have been approved by two-thirds of the Senate, instead of by a simple congressional majority, as it was in 1993. U.S. District Judge Robert Propst of Alabama said shortly after his ruling against the Steelworkers that his decision was a close call and that the union has legal standing to challenge NAFTA in court. Separately, the Commerce Department reported that imports of foreign steel rose in July in a reversal that suggests the U.S. industry’s struggles may continue. The 6% increase, which followed a 9% drop in June, was the third expansion in five months.