Question: In 2007, several members of Congress in the United States proposed that any further trade negotiations be accompanied by a "grand bargain" on labor standards. The problem with this action is that the current labor practices of the United States sometimes run afoul of the guidelines of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which would open up the United States to criticism and potentially sanctions from that agency. The article "Why a ‘Grand Deal' on Labor Could End Trade Talks" describes these concerns and argues that such a "grand deal" would be a mistake for the United States. A full-text version of this article is available at http://www.iie.com/publications/ opeds/oped.cfm?ResearchID=716.

Answer the following: Do you agree or disagree with the proposal for the United States to pursue a "grand deal" on labor standards, bringing its own laws into line with those of the International Labour Organization?