Here’s another noteworthy story from our mailbag.  We hear these same kinds of stories from people across the country, whether it’s yesterday’s account from Ryan in Wisconsin, or today’s item from Pennsylvania…

 From: Charles Costa, Irvine, Pennsylvania.

“I am 51 years old and born and raised in Erie, PA.  In the seventies in Erie, PA you could walk out of one shop and walk in to another and be working the same day.  In Erie, PA we had Bucyrus Erie, Mattel Toy Works, Weil McClain, Erie Tool Works, Erie Malleable Iron, GAF, International Paper (Hammer Mill), National Forge, and Steris Corp. 

“I now have to work 2 jobs since my job moved from Erie.  I was a Warehousing, Logistic, Expediting, and Production Supervisor for Blair Corp who was downsized due to lack of sales and moved back to Irvine, PA.  I can not find one job that can support my family at this time.  My choices are; work two jobs and hope things change or move from the area where I was born and raised.  There are about 30 more manufacturing shops that have left Erie, PA and surrounding areas.

“Well off to my first job of the day.” 

Charles’ story is yet one more reminder that American manufacturing would be better served by strong enforcement of the trade laws that we already have on the books.

Keep those letters coming, folks.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2007 at 1:04 am and is filed under Manufacturing in the U.S.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.