Brown Vows to Lead Fair Trade Fight for Mahoning Valley Workers

Will fight unfair trade agreements, invest in middle class families

LEAVITTSBURG, OH – U.S. Representative Sherrod Brown met with workers and union officials at the Denman Tire plant to discuss leading Ohio in a new direction that will return jobs to the Mahoning Valley by reversing unfair trade agreements and providing middle class families with the tools to succeed.  Incumbent Republican Senator Mike DeWine, who has accepted more than $1 million from companies that have outsourced U.S. jobs, supported the North American Free Trade Agreement, voted to grant Permanent Normalized Trade Relations with China, and voted for the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

“When it comes to helping multinational corporations boost their profits and outsource jobs, Senator DeWine gets things done,” said Representative Brown.  “But when it comes to job creation and helping middle class families, Senator DeWine has no plan.  I stood up to presidents of both parties in opposing job-killing trade agreements.  It is time to put American jobs, not multinational profits, first.”

Denman Tire laid off 50 of its 300 workers in March after facing stiff competition from foreign corporations that have dumped tires, rubber, and other products on the American market.  Even Denman has been forced to buy many of its own supplies from China, hurting other U.S. manufacturers.  Both the business and the labor union are working to keep as many workers as possible employed at the plant.  Brown is an original co-sponsor of the Patriot Corporations for America Act, which would use tax cuts and federal contracts to reward corporations that create jobs in the United States.  He is also the sponsor of legislation that would prohibit expatriate corporations that incorporate offshore from receiving federal contracts.
 
“While Senator DeWine believes we should help corporations that outsource American industries, I believe we should create incentives for corporations to create jobs and invest in America,” stated Brown.  “We must expand our economy in a way that rewards all families, not just the largest corporations.  By reversing unfair trade agreements, lowering costs for the middle class, and innovating to create new jobs, we can secure a brighter future for Ohio families.”

Ohio ranks among the top states in the country for the number of companies that have outsourced jobs and the number of companies that laid off workers due to the impact of trade agreements. Ohio lost more than 52,000 jobs because of NAFTA alone.  Ohio is one of just three states to decrease in overall jobs since January 2001. Brown is one of Congress' leading proponents of fair trade policy. Last year he led the bipartisan opposition in Congress against CAFTA, and in 1994 he stood up to a president of his own party in opposing NAFTA.   Last week, he announced a “Path to Opportunity” for middle class families, a series of tax breaks that would help middle class families at every changing phase of their lives.

09/12/2006 / Permalink / Jobs, Northeast Ohio, Trade, (all tags)