The top democrat in Congress says there won’t be overnight progress on labor and environmental issues in the World Trade Organization talks set to start tomorrow in Seattle.House Democrat Leader Dick Gephardt, a Missouri Congressman, made “fair trade” a cornerstone of his 1988 presidential campaign.Gephardt wants the World Trade Organization to deal with access to foreign markets, force countries to recognize labor unions and enforce environmental standards around the globe.Organized labor, environmental groups and those who oppose genetic alteration of crops plan protests at the W-T-O meeting.Gephardt is in Des Moines this morning, meeting with voters at Vice President Al Gore’s campaign headquarters.
