Unfair Trade Keeps 50 At Home

Sherrod visits Denman Tire where 50 workers lost their jobs from unfair trade

Sherrod addresses Denman workers

If you ask the workers or the management at the Denman Tire Company in Leavittsburg how unfair trade agreements have affected business, they'll tell you that 50 workers are sitting at home right now waiting to get their jobs back.  That's a sixth of their entire workforce.  The company's tire molds are now being made in Mexico.  Production is down because foreign corporations with weak or non-existent labor and environmental standards are dumping cheaper tires on the U.S. market.  And even Denman has been forced to buy some of its raw materials from the country that is hurting business the most - China.

The Youngstown Vindicator previewed the event in the morning paper.

Sherrod traveled to the Denman plant Tuesday to discuss one of the issues he has championed in Congress today - the critical importance of fair trade policy and supporting local businesses.  Mike DeWine has supported every trade agreement that has made jobs one of Ohio's biggest exports.  The state has lost more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs since DeWine last took office.  Sherrod Brown stood up to presidents of both parties in fighting unfair trade agreements, and was the leader of a bi-partisan coalition in Congress that fought against the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

Gary Steinbeck, the sub-district director for the United Steelworkers (which represents the workers at the plant), said 12 years of Republican leadership in Congress has led to lost jobs for Ohio.  Both workers and the business owners at Denman want to fight unfair trade in order to bring jobs back to the state.  Steinbeck said the future would be much brighter for the Denman workers - those currently and formerly employed - if we elect new leadership that will stand up to the president when it counts.
 
After holding a news conference out front, Sherrod then walked through the plant to meet with workers who didn't have time to take a break.  The plant was loud and hot, but the workers weren't complaining.  They were happy to have their jobs, despite the uncertainty.  For the 50 at home, plant worker Sherry Killin said they were waiting to hear whether they'd get their tire molds back from Mexico so they could come back to work.

Click here to see more pictures from the event. 

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