Letter to the Editor: World Trade Organization’s waiver on vaccines could be ‘disastrous’

As the president of the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council, I want to express my concern over the World Trade Organization’s decision to “waive” intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines and possibly expand that waiver to COVID-19 treatments and diagnostic tools.

This is a classic case of a good intention having potentially disastrous consequences. Putting this waiver in place will harm American workers and directly impact our Delaware labor workforce by shrinking available construction jobs. As stated, this waiver will have little to no positive impact on the health of those in China, India and other countries by expanding the waiver.

Let’s keep American jobs in America and oppose the implementation, and expansion, of the World Trade Organization waiver.

James Maravelias

President, Delaware Building Construction Trades

President Delaware AFL-CIO