Labor Ramps Up Effort to Stop Trade Deals

by Vicki Needham

WASHINGTON - Organized labor and other opponents of three pending free-trade deals are ramping up grass-roots campaigns intended to pressure lawmakers to oppose the agreements.

The fight over the agreements is splitting President Obama from unions and other liberal groups at a time when there is already tension between the White House and the left over the debt-ceiling deal. While the accords with South Korea, Colombia and Panama have broad support from the White House and Republican leaders, opponents are using the August recess to try to build up opposition.

They argue the deals will harm an economy still struggling to create jobs amid a fragile economic recovery.