UAW 4121 along with the King County Labor Council, the International Labor Rights Forum, the Sierra Club, and many other groups is sponsoring a free, all-ages concert, Rock Against the TPP, at Seattle’s Showbox SoDo on Friday Aug 19.
The concert is designed to raise public awareness of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement awaiting ratification. The agreement was negotiated by a dozen Pacific Rim nations including the US, Canada, Chile, Japan, Vietnam, and Australia. Much international opposition to the agreement, on both the political left and right, has coalesced against the agreement’s investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, which would allow private companies to sue for compensation against member nations with labor, health and safety, environmental, and other standards found to be too high under the terms of the agreement.
The Seattle stop on the Rock Against the TPP tour includes hip-hop artist Talib Kweli with a full band, an acoustic set from punk band Anti-Flag, Afro-Latin reggae vocalist Taina Asili, synth-pop multi-instrumentalist Bell’s Roar, and other acts. The mc is actress Evangeline Lilly, who hosts an anti-TPP workshop at 5pm. The concert runs from 6pm-11:30pm. Admissions is free, but you must RSVP. For RSVPs and more information, see here.