September 16, 2010

WHITE HOUSE APPOINTS UFCW PRESIDENT JOE HANSEN TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TRADE POLICY

WASHINGTON, DC-Joe Hansen, President of the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) has been appointed to the United States Trade Representatives Advisory Committee for Trade Policy.

The UFCW represents workers in the meatpacking, food processing, poultry, food distribution and retail food sectors of our economy. As the economies of developing countries grow, demand for food products made in the US-particularly meat-is increasing. Hansen is committed to ensuring that American farmers, workers, and responsible businesses and manufacturers are not locked out of these emerging growth markets. Hansens experience in the global union movement, and his role negotiating contracts with multi-national meatpacking, food processing, and grocery companies gives him a unique perspective and the capability to ensure the voice of working people is heard in trade agreements that affect their livelihoods.

I am so honored to accept this appointment. Food and meat industry representatives have long served on this Advisory Committee; I want to express my appreciation to President Obama and Ambassador Ron Kirk for nominating me as representative of workers in these industries. I look forward to working with Ambassador Kirk on trade policies that create more jobs in the U.S. by increasing our food and meat exports; and on improving working, living, and environmental standards for workers and their families both here and abroad-standards that will also benefit consumers, businesses, farmers and manufacturers, Hansen said.