Toxic Toys No More. USW Launches ‘Protect Our Kids’ Campaign

by Mike Hall, Sep 26, 2007

There were some scary headlines this year about tainted and toxic imported products. They made you wonder if your kids would get lead poisoning from their toys, if pet food would kill your dogs and cats or if your family was about to become a traffic statistic because of defective tires on your car.

Today, the United Steelworkers (USW) launched a major campaign to “Protect Our Kids—Stop Toxic Imports” in which the union will distribute thousands of Get the Lead Out Screening kits and spearhead a series of “Safe Home Sessions” so families can learn more about protecting themselves and their loved ones.

At the same time, these programs help working families fight the failed trade policies and inadequate regulatory protections that allow these dangerous products to threaten families and jobs.

Speaking at a Capitol Hill press conference today, USW President Leo W. Gerard said:

Toxic toys. Lead-laced baby bibs. Poisoned pet food. Red lead in Chinese-made steel. Every day the list of imported products that endanger our families and workers grows. It’s time for this to stop. Our political leaders must deal with the failed trade policies that are the root cause of this crisis.

He also points out that millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost to globalization, especially to China, where a lack of workers’ rights and safety and environmental standards is well documented. According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the growing U.S. trade deficit with China has cost 2.1 million U.S. jobs between 1997 and 2006.

Gerard was joined by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who is sponsoring legislation to safeguard consumers from unsafe food and other products and require country-of-origin labeling. Says Brown:

From food to toothpaste, toys to tires, we must do more to protect our families from contaminated and defective imports. Safeguarding consumers from unsafe products is the most basic of government functions—we must protect our families and our children.

While Chinese and other imports are the major source of concern, domestically made products must be screened more carefully, especially in light of the Bush administration’s cuts in the number of inspectors and staffers at the Food and Drug Administration and Consumer Product Safety Commission. Gerard puts it this way:

China’s attempt to export its poor standards is a serious problem, but a huge number of dangerous imports are made for North American manufacturers that choose profits over safety. Meanwhile, our government regulatory agencies are being gutted. Those facts are equally as disturbing.

The “Safe Home Sessions” this fall will be conducted by USW’s Women of Steel group and the union’s Health Safety and Environment team. Families can have their children’s toys and other products tested for lead, and they will receive training in removing lead products from their homes, along with information about trade issues and tips for political action.

One of those “Safe Home Sessions” will be at the Chicago house of Marilyn Furer. Earlier this year, she tested her grandson’s Chinese-made bibs and discovered they contained high lead levels. That eventually led to Wal-Mart’s recall of 10,000 vinyl bibs. Says Furer:

Nothing is more important than keeping my family safe, so I’m angry. It’s bad enough that we’ve seen so many jobs go overseas but now lead-covered bibs and other dangerous products have been allowed to find their way into our homes…a cheaper price tag is not worth our babies’ health. We are tired of businesses putting profits before our families. It’s time to get the lead out and stop toxic trade.

Go to Protect-Our-Kids.org for more information on the campaign and Safe Home Sessions, to order Get the Lead Out kits and to sign an online petition calling for stronger laws and regulations to stop toxic imports and other dangerous products.

Print This Article | E-Mail This Article |Comments (3)