<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></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: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/steelworkers-issue-joint-nafta-statement-at-trinational-labour-summit-650621873.html" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/steelworkers-issue-joint-nafta-statement-at-trinational-labour-summit-650621873.html</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 18.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 58, 79);" class="">Steelworkers Issue Joint NAFTA Statement at Trinational Labour Summit<o:p class=""></o:p></span></h1><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); text-transform: uppercase;" class="">NEWS PROVIDED BY<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://www.newswire.ca/news/united-steelworkers-usw" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><strong class=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 108, 54); text-decoration: none;" class="">United Steelworkers (USW)</span></strong></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><p class="mb-no" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in;">12:26 ET<o:p class=""></o:p></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><span class="xn-location">WASHINGTON</span>, Oct. 12, 2017 /CNW/ - A renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement must reverse the erosion of economic security, raise living and working conditions for all and provide broad, effective and enforceable labour rights, say leaders of the United Steelworkers (USW), <span class="xn-location">North America's</span> largest industrial union.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">At the Trinational Labour Summit in <span class="xn-location">Washington, D.C.</span>, the USW's International President <span class="xn-person">Leo W. Gerard</span> and Canadian National Director <span class="xn-person">Ken Neumann</span> today released the following joint statement:<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class=""><b class="">Joint Press Statement<br class=""><span class="xn-person">Leo W. Gerard</span>, USW International President<br class=""><span class="xn-person">Ken Neumann</span>, USW Canadian National Director</b><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class=""><b class="">Trinational Labour Summit<br class=""><span class="xn-chron">October 12, 2017</span></b><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">We have come together today as the NAFTA renegotiations reach a critical point. Labour leaders from <span class="xn-location">Mexico</span>, <span class="xn-location">Canada</span>and <span class="xn-location">the United States</span> were joined by progressive leaders from the U.S. Congress and discussed the challenges and opportunities that workers face in the three countries.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">The United Steelworkers (USW) is the largest industrial union in <span class="xn-location">North America</span>. We know first-hand the impact of failed trade policies. That impact has been devastating. Since NAFTA, wage inequality has worsened and wage growth has stagnated in both <span class="xn-location">Canada</span> and <span class="xn-location">the United States</span>. Workers' economic security has been eroded. In <span class="xn-location">Mexico</span>, wages and working conditions have fallen further behind and workers' rights are suppressed on a regular basis.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">USW members in <span class="xn-location">Canada</span> and <span class="xn-location">the United States</span> and our free and independent brothers and sisters with the Los Mineros union in <span class="xn-location">Mexico</span> all fought for broad, effective and enforceable labour rights provisions in the existing NAFTA. Our calls were rejected, and the ruinous impact of NAFTA on working people has been clear.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 26.25pt; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">We all want a renegotiated agreement if it will raise standards, ensure that they are enforced, and provide growth and opportunity for workers in all three countries. NAFTA has concentrated income, wealth and power in the hands of wealthy investors and corporations instead of creating good jobs and protecting the environment. <o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 26.25pt; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">Rules of origin, investor-state dispute settlement, currency issues, and many others need to be addressed in any renegotiated agreement. But, without significant improvements in workers' rights provisions, there will be little progress in any updated agreement. Working people will not share in any of the benefits their work helps to create.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">Last year, voters here in <span class="xn-location">the United States</span> made trade a core issue in the campaign. Our brothers and sisters in <span class="xn-location">Mexico</span>and <span class="xn-location">Canada</span> have the same aspirations. It is time for our political leaders to keep the promises that were made and not bow to the special interests and free trade ideologues. We intend to work together. We intend to fight. And, we intend to win.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class=""><i class="">The USW represents 850,000 workers in <span class="xn-location">North America</span> employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: </i><a href="http://www.usw.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><i class=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 108, 54);" class="">www.usw.org</span></i></a><i class=""> and</i><a href="http://www.usw.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><i class=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 108, 54);" class="">www.usw.ca</span></i></a><i class="">.</i><o:p class=""></o:p></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 26.25pt; box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;" class="">SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)<img apple-inline="yes" id="75B04060-E9AC-493B-8B0E-6D3C86178101" height="32" width="32" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image001.png@01D34360.27916DC0" class=""></p></body></html>