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Tell Bill O’Reilly to Buy USA-Made T-Shirts for His Patriot Store |
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We heard Bill O’Reilly is having trouble finding American-made T-shirts to sell in his Patriot Store. We know he’s heartbroken because, after all, what good is a Patriot Store if its products are made in El Salvador or Haiti? (Especially if you’re selling red, white and blue “American Patriot” T-shirts, like the one on the left.)
We heard he can’t find made-in-the-USA T-shirts because O’Reilly said so himself (h/t to D-Day). In his “Mailbag” segment on May 22, O’Reilly took the following question from Stewart Hollins in Rio Rancho, N.M.:
Mr. O, great looking mugs. Terrific bold and fresh shirts. Where are the items made?
And O’ Reilly responded:
Mugs are made in the USA, Stewart. The shirts in Central America. We cannot get the volume of shirts we need made in America, sadly.
Actually, Bill, you can. And not only American-made, but union made. And there’s nothing more patriotic than buying the products made by the heart of America’s working middle class.
A spokeswoman from Image Pointe, based in Waterloo, Iowa, says the company has 40,000 T-shirts on hand, and another 200,000 easily accessible from their vendor. That’s on hand, instant delivery. After that, the company can churn out 10,000 T-shirts a day. The shirts are made in places like Chicago, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas and San Francisco. That is, made in the USA. And all made by union members.
Not enough T-shirts there for you, Bill?
You can always supplement orders with K& R Industries in Chantilly, Va., where a spokeswoman says the company could provide any amount of American-made, union-made T-shirts needed. Just give them a heads up.
In the off-chance Bill O isn’t a reader of the AFL-CIO Now blog, how about sending him a message and telling him his Patriot Store should carry American-made products? If he’s a real patriot, he’ll be happy you asked.
This is a cross-post from the Firedoglake blog.
6 Comments
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[...] is rather sad and pathetic if you ask me. We heard Bill O’Reilly is having trouble finding American-made T-shirts to sell [...]
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Mr. O’ - I read that your patriot shirts are not made in the USA. If this is true, it is a bit feckless, perhaps even mendacious. There are more than enough US manufacturers for your shirts so please stop being so perfidious sir.
The only question to this article has to be volume. My guess is that Mr. O thinks it is quicker to ship from Central America than manufacture in the US. Most of us quit giving thought to where products were manufactured a long time ago. I personally am guilty of this mostly because when you start a new business, the only thing you think about keeping the cost down while delivering quality. I incorporated UTI Tees, Inc. in 2008 when I was ready for http://www.utitees.com to go live. I read many blogs, Internet posts, and product reviews on which t-shirts had the best quality. I still do not know the answer after years of printing. I made decision primarily on my own personal experiences.
It sounds like Mr. O has a very large following/Patriots willing to buy his products. I don’t really think Mr. O’s issue is profit margin. My guess is the guy buying an American Patriot shirt will pay an extra dollar or two if it meant keeping that dollar or two in the US.
I am an avid trade show attender. I recently ran into a company in California called BAYSIDE (www.astsportswear.com) and they might be a great option for Mr. O. Their website is less than impressive, but this CA company products appear to be of high quality. Plus, BAYSIDE will private label for Mr. O’s high quantity requirements for a quarter per garment. Think about it… Mr. O could have his own brand of apparel for a quarter or less per garment all done with the same US company.
Now that I just gave Mr. O a difficult time about his choice or maybe ignorance, I want to let it be known I am not a hypocrite. I am currently in the process of the re-branding process of http://www.utitees.com. My website sells many Jerzees t-shirts and the are manufactured in the Dominican Republic. In my experience, t-shirts seem to be a lot like windows. There are about 20 major manufacturers, but thousands sell the products. As many of our family members recently lost work, we all are starting to look at label like we once did. I remember when Walmart use to boast proudly about their American Made products. I may not make a difference with Mr. O or Walmart, but I will seriously weigh my US options in the near future when I changes are feasable. Meanwhile, please email our UTI Tees, Inc. customer service at customerservice@utitees.com or call (877)705-9651 with your USA requests and/or requirements.
Anyone claiming to be a real American patriot would insist that the products they bought or sold - especially those supporting a particular organization - would be made by American workers being paid a fair wage. There is no excuse for buying or promoting foreign made shirts(& other products) made with exploited labor thousands of miles away other than sheer ignorance or callous disregard for others. Purchased in sufficient quantities, any claim of price disparity becomes minimal. Principle is what counts for a patriot, isn’t it?
American Advertising in Boonville Indiana has American/Union Made shirts and would be happy to supply the shirts.
(800) 995-5415 (Toll Free)
http://www.everything-usa.net
Has anyone ordered their “Dash Board Obama” yet from Glenn Beck? It is really amazing. I think it’s made in China.
There is a practice in the clothing industry of buying stuff overseas and then being “re-tagged” made in USA