<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td width="0" style="width: 0.3pt; padding: 0in;" class=""></td><td width="375" style="width: 281.25pt; padding: 0in;" class=""></td><td width="60" style="width: 45pt; padding: 0in;" class=""></td><td width="404" style="width: 303pt; padding: 0in;" class=""></td></tr><tr style="height: 89.25pt;" class=""><td style="padding: 0in; height: 89.25pt;" class=""></td><td rowspan="2" valign="top" style="padding: 0in; height: 89.25pt;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="335FB77A-495D-4524-B693-95FE369D9E08" height="121" width="375" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image003.png@01D12EA6.99B79850" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></div></td><td style="padding: 0in; height: 89.25pt;" class=""></td><td valign="top" style="padding: 0in; height: 89.25pt;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="E0D76ED2-362F-4E0C-908A-9A670B67F7FD" height="119" width="404" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image004.png@01D12EA6.99B79850" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></div></td></tr><tr style="height: 1.5pt;" class=""><td style="padding: 0in; height: 1.5pt;" class=""></td><td style="padding: 0in; height: 1.5pt;" class=""></td><td style="padding: 0in; height: 1.5pt;" class=""></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><br clear="all" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">December 4, 2015<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="mailto:ajerome@nfudc.org" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">ajerome@nfudc.org</span></a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Contact: Casey Hoag, 202-728-1832<br class=""><a href="mailto:choag@ufcw.org" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">choag@ufcw.org</span></a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Two New Reports Show Trans-Pacific Partnership has Major Agricultural, Labor and Environmental Deficiencies</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">WASHINGTON (December 4, 2015)</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">– Several major deficiencies in the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact (TPP) – including failure to address currency manipulation or set in place adequate labor and environmental standards – are clear evidence that passage of this pact would hurt American food processors, family farmers and ranchers, while also posing serious threats to U.S. domestic beef production and prices, according to two advisory reports submitted this week. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span class="MsoHyperlink"><u class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><a href="https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/Agricultural-Policy-Advisory-Committee.pdf#page=10" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">The minority report to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC)</span></a></span></u></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">, released today, argues, “passage [of the TPP] will reduce American food processing jobs, labor standards and farm gate prices and result in increased imports and decreased exports of American agricultural products.” The report was submitted by Chandler Goule, National Farmers Union Senior Vice President of Programs, and Mark Lauritsen, United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Vice President and Director of the Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing Division.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">The authors point out that currency manipulation, which for years has caused American job losses and increased the U.S. trade deficit, is totally unaddressed by the TPP. “This deficit damages the entire economy and has impeded job growth and income gains,” they point out. “Since this is unaddressed, it could nullify the tariff reductions, harming the export potential of many American sectors including and especially beef.” <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">The report also notes that the TPP would fail, “to place labor and environmental standards on equal footing with economic rights and elimination of sustainability preferences.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">“Regrettably, the labor chapter reflects only incremental improvements over past agreements like NAFTA and will not offset the low labor standards currently existing in many TPP signatories,” note Goule and Lauritsen. “Driven by the attraction of low wages, the U.S. is vulnerable to loss of food processing jobs.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/ATAC-Animals-and-Animal-Products.pdf#page=12" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">A similar minority report from the Animal and Animal Products Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade (ATAC)</span></u></a>, which was also released today, notes that passage of the TPP would pose serious threats both to rebuilding the U.S. cattle herd and to domestic beef production. This is evidenced by:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-family: Symbol;" class="">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;" class=""> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Since the passage of NAFTA, 50 plants have closed taking out 52,695 in daily kill capacity.<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-family: Symbol;" class="">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;" class=""> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>On January 1, 2014, beef cow numbers fell to their lowest level since 1941.<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-family: Symbol;" class="">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;" class=""> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Total commercial cattle slaughter in 2015 will fall below 30 million for the first time since 1963, when it totaled 27.232 million. This year’s total is expected to be down 4% to 5% from 2014.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-family: Symbol;" class="">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;" class=""> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>For fed beef packers, 2015 fed steer and heifer slaughter is expected to decline about 3.5%, or 850,000, from last year.<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-family: Symbol;" class="">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;" class=""> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Nine processing plants have closed since the start of 2013, representing a slaughter capacity 3.7 million annually.<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" class=""><span style="font-family: Symbol;" class="">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;" class=""> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Since 2007 cattle numbers fell by 8.843 million as of 2014. This forced Cargill in February 2013 to close its Plainview, Texas plant costing 2000 high paying union jobs with good benefits. Four other US beef plants have since closed causing the loss of an additional 2500 high paying jobs.<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt;" class=""> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Kurt Brandt, UFCW’s Assistant to the Director of the Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing Division was a signatory to the ATAC minority report.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">“Clearly, the U.S. Trade Representative was out-negotiated in this case,” notes Brandt. “The series of NAFTA-style free trade agreement passed over the past two decades has led to increasing live cattle imports that have directly depressed US cattle prices, and impeded herd rebuilding. Increasing beef imports allowed by ongoing trade regulation suppresses US beef prices, and further delays herd rebuilding.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">“The primary beneficiaries of this agreement [the TPP], i.e., global food processing companies, would be further empowered to move more of their U.S. jobs overseas,” Brandt wrote. “This means that claims of increased benefits for U.S. food and agricultural production rings hollow, because much of the increasing foreign demand for food will be met by processing plants being built in other countries – including plants built overseas by U.S.-based companies.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/Agricultural-Policy-Advisory-Committee.pdf" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Complete APAC Report</span></u></a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/ATAC-Animals-and-Animal-Products.pdf" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Complete ATAC Report</span></u></a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">###<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://www.nfu.org/" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">National Farmers Union</span></u></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Join the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.ufcw.org/" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">United Food and Commercial Workers International Union</span></u></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(UFCW) online at<a href="http://www.ufcw.org/" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">www.ufcw.org</span></u></a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">We are 1.3 million families standing together to build an economy that every hard-working family deserves.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="920434E1-EFD5-4C4A-BD4C-526CBC672921" height="40" width="40" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image005.jpg@01D12EA6.99B79850" class=""> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational</span></u></a> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><img apple-inline="yes" id="697D0EEE-0C61-4E7F-AC58-4798D51EDAA5" height="46" width="46" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image006.png@01D12EA6.99B79850" class=""> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/UFCW" style="color: purple;" class=""><u class=""><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">@UFCW</span></u></a></span></div></div></body></html>