NAPA, Calif. – Congressman Mike Thompson received a “Fair Trade Champion” award from Citizens Trade Campaign on Thursday in recognition of his standing with constituents over Wall Street on job-killing trade polices.

“Congressman Thompson had the foresight to recognize just how dangerous the Trans-Pacific Partnership is to California’s economy when he voted against fast tracking this job killer. The recent International Trade Commission projections about the pact confirm he made the right call,” said Xiomara Castro. “Californians are lucky to have an elected official who has our backs on trade."

Representative Thompson voted against “Fast Track” legislation that will enable the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement to circumvent ordinary Congressional review, amendment and debate procedures. The TPP has not yet been introduced to Congress, but many expect a vote during the “lame duck” session later this year.

Labor advocates have long argued that the TPP would threaten good-paying jobs in California, by forcing area employers into deeper competition with companies exploiting workers abroad who are paid less than 65 cents an hour.

This assertion is supported by the U.S. International Trade Commission study of the TPP published in late May, which found that the trade agreement would increase the United States’ overall global trade deficit and worsen the balance of trade in a number of California’s key industries, including machinery and equipment, chemicals and metal products.

“Corporate special interests are lobbying Congress hard every day in support of sweetheart deals like the TPP that would make it easier for them to ship California’s jobs overseas to wherever labor is the most exploited,” said Adrian Acosta of Communications Workers of America.