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‘Keep It Made in America’ Bus Tour Kicks Off |
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| Actor Danny Glover tells a Michigan crowd the value of saving U.S. auto jobs. |
With more than 7.2 million paychecks dependent on U.S. autos, a coalition of unions and allies is taking part in a nationwide ”Keep It Made in America” bus tour to send the message that millions of jobs are tied to the fate of the U.S. auto industry. The tour, which kicked off yesterday, will travel to 34 cities in 11 states and ends in Washington, D.C., May 19 for a daylong “teach-in” on the impact of the automotive supply chain in communities and to present a plan to save the auto industry.
The tour is sponsored by the United Steelworkers (USW), the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) and the Mayors and Municipalities Automotive Coalition (MMAC). Says Scott Paul, executive director of AAM:
We all have a stake in a strong domestic automobile industry. That’s why we will put forward a plan to strengthen the automotive supply chain and get America back to work.
Bus tour participants include actor and social activist Danny Glover, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, community leaders, elected officials, labor leaders and workers from steel, iron, glass, plastics and rubber, aluminum and auto parts facilities, along with local auto dealers, community employers and local community and elected leaders.
To find out where the bus tour will stop and for real-time updates, click here. You’ll also be able to contact members of Congress to urge them to support legislation that builds a stronger auto industry in the United States and reject plans that send jobs off-shore.
USW President Leo Gerard says the U.S. jobs crisis goes deeper than the auto companies and assembly workers in Detroit. Reducing U.S. auto manufacturing would drive down jobs in industries across the board, from the people who make auto catalogs and shipping boxes to workers making glass for windshields, rubber for tires and other materials. The nation’s service sector would suffer, as well, Gerard adds:
Nationwide, if we cut American auto jobs to support auto imports, the consequences for service-sector jobs will be severe. The waitress at the neighborhood diner, the teacher at the community school, accountants, bankers, firefighters, and police officers will all likely see their jobs affected.
Auto parts suppliers drive economic growth in states across the country. In 19 U.S. states, auto parts suppliers are either the top industrial employer, or among the top five industrial employers. Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri are among the states on the “Keep it Made in America” tour.
Speaking yesterday in Hamtrack, Mich., Glover told the crowd that saving the auto industry is good for the country because it saves good jobs. And it’s important to help more workers join unions so they, too, can have benefits and decent wages.
Supporting unions, supporting free choice, the Employee Free Choice Act, those are the things that we have to be supporting in terms of the union.
Local officials also understand the importance of auto industry jobs. Shreveport (La.) Mayor Cedric Glover says:
Shreveport is nowhere near Detroit, but making quality American vehicles and making parts for those vehicles has created terrific business opportunities in our community for other manufacturers, auto dealers, advertisers, radio and TV stations, and dozens of other local companies. These are the companies that form the tax base to pay for local services like schools, police, and fire departments, and they sponsor kids’ programs and contribute to local charities. Our quality of life has benefitted from opportunities afforded by the U.S. auto industry.
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I was there and it was a good rally. The only problem I say was the same that several of the local media pointed out: Where was the crowd?
Good rally, good speakers and good media coverage and I enjoyed myself as did a couple other members of Soar 11-3
Speakers were inspired.
Of course, my favorite was Leo G of the steelworkers.
This tour is a GREAT idea !
This is another innovative way the AFL-CIO is creating attention and defining our message.
Good luck on the tour!
The problem we face here in America happens to be the fact that the far right doesn’t believe in and or care about its own people of this country, but rather the almighty buck for which they wish to squeeze out of the rest of Middle America ( what little there is today ).
The catalyst for this freedom losing, ungratefulness comes from those in the South, Southwest, and Plain States which are known are ” Right To Work “. The laws in these states for which the right wish to make a national agenda by the way unscrupulously deny the rights of workers to be represented fairly and equally against the power hungry gender. This is National Socialism!!!!!
In watching A&E’s Classroom my point was proven when the narrator stated that Japan ” Succeeds beyond anyones dreams because of their high tax and tariffs and closed door trading policies along with the lower currency values. ” These same tactics are pursued by the Koreans, Chinese, and all other Asian and by the foremost all Countries in the world today. Only the United States has an open door trade and tariff policy where goods being imported are basically free to sell here at our expense. Which in turn means our jobs go overseas.
These same companies don’t have to face regualtions such as safety issues, envirommental issues, workplace laws and statutations, along with decent wages. They are allowed to basically have it there way in every aspect to not only the workers expense but the peoples expense as a whole. Remember the 1984 Dow Corning Plant Leak that killed 100’s?
Its time this government realized the people of nation deserve every opportunity to make, buy, and sell the products here like we did in the last century, especially long before the traitorous Free Trade Agreements put into place. If this is a true Democracy, then lets make this government know that it suppose to be ” of the people, by the people, and for the people. ” That we are suppose to have the right to the “Life, Liberty and pursuit of happiness” along with ” All men being created Equal. ” Not the rich or the powerful controlling the virtues of everyday society!!!! THATS NATIONAL SOCIALISM FOLKS!!!!!
Please check out my little video called “MAD IN AMERICA” on Youtube - they should be playing the song at the rallies, it says it all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwPAcDC2AMc
Buy Amercan is dead I’m afraid,people in general have realized to late what they are doing to themselves.Many want only cheap products and the few that would buy American can’t find anything to buy.We have ourselves and our government to blame.We have let to many manufacturers move all production out of country and how we are to bring it back I certainly don’t know.Ford Motor Company is a prime example their most popular car the new Fusion is completely build in Mexico and they say dealers can’t keep them.Dosen’t say much for Americans.
I`d like to see union leaders do more campaigns on radio, tv news shows,tv talk shows, internet, newspapers,and billboards. We have to explain why unions matter and how unfair trade is killing the middle class working familes. Union leaders should be in full crisis mode now. We are in huge trouble and it just didn`t start. What about a million member march on Washington?