And the Stories Start Rolling In
Posted by SCapozzola on October 1st, 2007
If you want to hear a good summary of the troubles facing today’s manufacturing workers, look no further than the story told at our Town Hall meeting in Manchester last week by machinist Rich Reilly.
Rich began his working career as a factory sweeper at an auto parts machining firm. He worked his way through night school, earned an associates degree, and moved his way up to do welding, machining, and finally environmental health and safety coordination at his plant.
After years of employment, Rich’s factory closed its doors and shifted production to Mexico and Europe, laying off more than a thousand workers in Dover and Farmington, New Hampshire.
While Rich is now looking for a new job himself, he’s also helping many of his former colleagues with their job searches.
Rich offered the first question during our Q&A in Manchester, and he cut to the heart of the matter:
“By sending our jobs outside our country, we risk losing a very important aspect of who we are in America. But it goes even deeper than that because when these jobs leave our country it affects other companies that support these facilities. I’ve spent the last 7 months working with hundreds of people, writing resumes, cover letters, doing job-searches or just supporting my fellow workers as their lives were turned upside down.
“Losing our jobs due to plant closures and finding out that our jobs have been sent out of the country, is nothing short of a slap in the face to the very backbone of what this country was made on.
“I want to know, what are these presidential hopefuls doing to help us average Americans struggling to make a living right now?”
Rich’s story is being replayed throughout the country. And so, we want to hear from you. Please tell us your stories, what’s happened to you, what you think needs to be done to save U.S. manufacturing jobs.
Please post them here on our blog. Or, email me and I’ll work with you on a specific article: scapozzola@aamfg.org.
Put pen to paper and let’s get started.
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October 2nd, 2007 at 2:57 am
Our ability to create and lead the world is leaving America because our Nation’s laws are not being enforced.
My own job was launching new high tech products into manufacturing, a great job, because our factory was on site. When management decided to offshore some production, then more, then even more, I had to resign. I couldn’t aid and abet the crippling of our Nation’s capabilities simply for a slightly higher profit margin.
Before I left I tried to form a union, something we had never needed when our company’s founders were still alive to look out for American interests.
I realized that there was little chance of success, but was hoping that management would at least obey the law. No such luck. With penalties for harrassment of union organizers next to nil, the beancounters would rather be criminal and unethical rather than bother with the risk of negotiating with employees over wages, benefits, and job security.
I support compromise on the stalled Employee Free Choice Act to increase penalties on greatly ignored labor law, by removing the provisions to change law on recognizing unions which have symied the bill.
Hope that a Senator out there gets behind making America a law-abiding country again through the passing of critically needed legislation.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:22 pm
John:
Thanks for writing in. We’ve been encouraging people to share their stories. So feel free to add more to your commentary and tell us where you’re from, how things are going in your town.
And you’re right by the way– our nation’s laws are not being enforced. We have trade laws to deal with dumping and subsidies, but they need to be enforced.
Good to hear from you, and best wishes.
-steven
AAM
November 28th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Compare Youngstown, OH (my hometown) and Pittsburgh, PA, less that 60 miles apart. Both big steel manufacturers back in the day, yet Pitts has rebuilt itself and Yo still struggles. Pitts was already diversified somewhat and did not have all its eggs in one basket. Even Cleveland to the north has become somewhat of a destination city.