WHO WE ARE:

The Connecticut Fair Trade Coalition (CFTC) is a coalition of environmental, labor, faith, health and other
groups that work at the local, state and national levels to stop passage of bad trade deals such as the Trans Pacific
Partnership (TPP) and other trade deals that threaten jobs, access to affordable medicines, food safety, the
environment, labor and human rights and democratic principles. We support the development of a new and
improved model for international trade that benefits everyone and not just multi-national corporations
The Connecticut Fair Trade Coalition formed in 2014 in an effort to defeat the TPA (Trade Promotion
Authority) commonly known as Fast Track. We have met with Congressional Representatives, held informational
forums and rallies, written letters to the editor and worked with local governments to pass resolutions opposing the
TPP.

WHY WE OPPOSE THE TRANS PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP):

Job Losses and Lower Wages: A recent study finds that the TPP would spell a pay cut for all but the
richest 10 percent of U.S. workers by exacerbating U.S. income inequality, just as past trade deals have
done. The TPP will repeat failed policies of the past which have resulted in the loss of over 100,000 wellpaying manufacturing jobs in the state of Connecticut since 1994 when the North American Free Trade Act
(NAFTA) was signed.
Threats to Democracy The TPP includes special legal provisions known as Investor-State Dispute
Settlement (ISDS), that potentially sets the profits of corporations above the importance of local, state and
federal laws. This shocking process empowers corporations to go around the U.S. court system to attack
laws that protect our health, environment and financial stability. ISDS elevates individual corporations to
equal status with nations, empowering them to sue the U.S. government to demand unlimited taxpayer
compensation for federal, state or local laws or government actions they claim undermine their investor
rights.
Secrecy and lack of transparency in the negotiations as well as lack of input from workers, farmers, small
businesses, environmentalists, families and communities while over 600 corporate advisors were included
in the negotiations.
Increase in patents for pharmaceutical companies - The TPP contains provisions locking in monopoly
protections for pharmaceutical companies on expensive specialty drugs called biologics constraining the
governments ability to limit spending on drugs - potentially increasing the cost of life-saving drugs.
Threats to Food Safety - The TPP would require the US to allow food imports if the exporting country
claims that their safety regime is equivalent to our own, even if it violates the key principles of our food
safety laws. These rules would effectively outsource domestic food inspection to other countries. The TPP
also would endanger labels identifying genetically modified foods and labels identifying how food was
produced.
Threats to the Environment The TPP will allow corporations to challenge environmental laws,
regulations and court decisions through ISDS. The TPP also rolls back the environmental enforcement
provisions of past trade agreements, and would provide corporations with new tools for attacking
environmental and consumer protections, while simultaneously increasing the export of climate-disrupting
fossil fuels.
Threats to Human Rights The TPPs partners will include oppressive undemocratic countries like
Vietnam and Brunei, and other countries with problematic human rights records like Malaysia, Singapore,
and Mexico. Lawmakers who focus on religious freedom may be alarmed at how Vietnam locks up leaders
of unsanctioned churches. Advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are
horrified at anti-LGBT laws in Malaysia and Brunei.

THE RATIFICATION PROCESS:

The TPP negotiations were finalized in October 2015 and the text was released to the public in
November. On Feb. 3rd, representatives from the 12 signatory countries met in New Zealand to sign
the trade agreement. Now, each country must ratify or vote on the agreement before it takes effect.
In the U.S. the process of ratification begins when President Obama sends implementation
language to Congress detailing how the trade agreement is to be implemented. This will begin the 90day clock, the time period during which Congress must vote on the agreement. Congress can vote
on the TPP any time during the 90 days, but they must vote on it before the 90 days are up. Many
opposition groups fear the President will try to push the TPP through Congress during the lame duck
session after the election. Activists around the country are urging their representatives to oppose a
vote on the TPP during the lame duck session.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

TAKE ACTION NOW - CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS!
CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD - 202-224-3121
SAMPLE CALL SCRIPT:
Hi my name is _________, and I am one of your constituents from [town/city]. I am asking
Representative ______ to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). After years of secrecy, the
content of the TPP was finally made public last November. We know that the TPP would make it
easier to offshore American jobs, push down our wages, raise medicine prices, flood us with unsafe
imported food and threaten the environment. We urge you to prioritize our families and communities
over corporate profits. Make a public statement opposing the TPP today and pledge to vote NO. I
look forward to hearing from Representative _______ on his/her position.

OTHER STEPS YOU CAN TAKE:

JOIN OUR COALITION! Sign up here for more information: http://bit.ly/JoinCFTC

TELL YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY about the TPPs threats to our environment, jobs, human rights,
internet freedom and security, and democracy. For more information, visit Public Citizen at:
http://citizen.org/ or the Sierra Club at: http://sierraclub.org/trade/resources/reports

SIGN A PETITION TO STOP THE TPP: http://bit.ly/MoveON-StopTPP-Petition

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

For sample letters and resources go to: http://bit.ly/CTC-LTE-Resource-1