How did NAFTA hurt some US workers?

Answer 1

NAFTA or the North American Free Trade Agreement had hurt and is still hurting America. NAFTA was passed during the Clinton Administration but was a bipartisan treaty. What was supposed to infuse jobs into the economy by allowing other Central America and Canadian companies to set up branches here in America had the opposite effect. What instead happened, some speculate by design, is that a great number of American companies closed facilities here and opened them in areas free from Union work force restrictions, less government regulation on wages, pollution standards and government controlled quality guidelines. The problem with Union work forces, was that they forced employers costs to skyrocket based on the threat of strike. The Unions would threaten to shut the plant or business down by going on strike unless the company agreed to any one of numerous things. Pay and health benefits being the leading bargaining chip. In many ways, the Union (which was once the savior of workers with extremely poor and dangerous working conditions) who supported NAFTA have brought America to it's now dismal economy situation. Car manufacturers realized quickly that making parts in other countries was not only cost effective by reducing work force but also have parts produced with no worries of pollution standards.
To sum this up, NAFTA wasn't the only culprit in the humbling of the United States' economy. As with most major government meddling, follow the money and you'll find the source of the problem.