On February 18 in Springfield, there will be a noon rally against a bill in Congress that would lower American workers' wages and result in more pollution around the world, organizers say. The rally will be at Congressman Richard Neal’s office at 300 State Street. The legislation, known as “fast track” would allow the government to make so-called “free trade” deals more easily. Unions prefer trade agreements that include protections for workers here, in China, and elsewhere, and that include environmental protections.

An article in the February 9 edition of the New York Times said President Obama wants Congress to pass the fast track bill by the end of next year. But a vote could come much sooner than that. The Times article said that, if the vote were to happen now, it would be very close.

Rally organizer Jon Weissman works for the western Massachusetts chapter of www.jwj.org. On February 9, he told the Valley Post that Neal “has never stated a clear position [on fast track] publicly.... We are not assuming he will vote correctly.”

In a February 9 telephone interview with the Valley Post, Neal's media spokesman said he would respond to a February 9 e-mail from the Valley Post asking how Neal would vote on fast track and why. As of February 14, that had not happened.

More information is available at www.NoFastTrack.com or by calling Weissman at (413) 250-5267 or e-mailing him at jon@wmjwj.org.