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Trade Workers Mobilize on Capitol Hill February 9, 2004 What the labor movement has been saying for years is finally resonating with the rest of the country: the United States is suffering from manufacturing losses too severe to ignore. Industrial trade union members came in force to Washington, D.C. on February 3 to urge Congress to support fair trade policies that will help revive the moribund manufacturing climate that has shed 2.6 million jobs in the past three years. One year after the inaugural meeting of the AFL-CIOs Industrial Union Council, 3,000 union members from 14 industrial unions including the IBEW returned to call on Congress to implement new initiatives to stimulate job growth, bring back "offshored" jobs and stop the corporate trend of outsourcing Americas jobs. "It is a shame that it has taken the loss of more than two million quality, middle-class jobs to get the attention of lawmakers," said IBEW International President Edwin D. Hill. "In this important election year, our members will make them understand the consequences of failing to stand up for working people in the global economy." A day of member lobbying was followed a morning rally featuring Industrial Union Council Chairman and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California.). Senator Daschle pinned the blame on the state of domestic manufacturing on trade policies that reward companies for moving production facilities overseas. "George Bush says the economy is creating jobs," Daschle said. "But let me tell you, China is one long commute." President Hill treated IBEW members to lunch at the International Office before the 56 members from 25 local unions approached their representatives for mostly prescheduled meetings. But those visits were interrupted by the discovery Monday of the poison ricin in one of the Senate buildings, prompting a shutdown of all Senate offices. On the House side, at least, Manufacturing Department Director Bob Roberts said members were more familiar with the issues and pending legislation affecting the manufacturing sector than last year. "We had fewer delegates this year but I dont think they were any less determined," Roberts said. "They seemed to be well prepared to lobby their representatives." Local 164, Jersey City, Political Coordinator Jay Gaul said overtime and the net loss of jobs to New Jersey topped the list of issues his delegation discussed with House members. He emphasized the importance of overtime to nonunion workers making ends meet with the time and a half income. "This overtime isnt for a trip to Disney World or a new carits to live off of," Gaul said. "Social Security is based on how much they make per year." The good news is after the loss of nearly 55,000 jobs in recent years, New Jersey is finally rehiring. But the quality of employment is an issue to workers, who may have found work but not a job that has health benefits or a pension, Gaul said. A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute reinforced the importance of domestic manufacturing to the United States economy. Particularly to those without college educations, manufacturing has been a primary source of middle class jobs paying decent wages and benefits. The sharp drop in manufacturing employment in the past two years coincides directly with the largest trade deficits ever recorded, which means American consumers are buying goods produced overseas in countries unhampered by labor and environmental standards. Last year, the United States posted the fifth straight year of employment loss for the first time since World War II. Manufacturing jobs have been lost in 49 of Americas 50 states and now manufacturing employment is at a 45-year low.
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Labor
Protests Set for Miami Trade Talks...
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IBEW
Manufacturing Department International Representative Troy Johnson,
left, and Political Department International Representative Liz
Shuler.
