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 PRESIDENT Paul LaBuda |
Whether we like it or not the Global Economy is here to stay. So how can we make it benefit the American worker? As Union Officials we have always advocated "Buy American", so why not expand this concept through increased exporting of American goods and services to overseas nations and thereby increase and create more U.S. jobs? Ninety-five percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States so why not tap into these markets through expanded trade of American made products abroad? Currently around 60 million American workers are employed by firms that benefit from exports. One in five factory jobs depend on exports and one in three acres of American farmland is being planted for consumers overseas. In addition, U.S. service companies export $550 billion in services annually to overseas customers. Overall U.S. exports totaled nearly $2 trillion in 2009.
In November, President Obama announced the United States' intention to engage with the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other economies in the region with the goal of increasing American exports in this area, which already represents more than 40 percent of world trade. Over the past 4½ years export of American goods and services have accounted for nearly half of the real economic growth in the United States. If we recognize the fact that the Asia Pacific's robust economies offer huge opportunities to increase U.S. exports, we can see the potential of creating high quality, high paying jobs in the United States. The Trans-Pacific Partnership will create a program for economic integration between the United States and seven like minded countries including Singapore, Chile, New Zealand, Brunei, Australia, Peru and Vietnam in an effort to establish a platform for a high standard, comprehensive agreement that reflects U.S. priorities and values with these and future Asia-Pacific partners.
As a nation, however, we have a long way to go to re-capture our economy. Over the next 10 years we must create 20 million new jobs just to put the unemployed back to work and keep up with a growing population of future U.S. workers.
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 RECORDING SECRETARY Dan Kolar |
On a recent Sunday afternoon, I was sitting around in my LEVI JEANS and CONVERSE ALL-STAR tennis shoes, strumming my FENDER STRATOCASTER guitar. I looked out the window and saw some kids tossing around a RAWLINGS BASEBALL and some others riding their CANNONADE BIKES. There was an AMERICAN FLAG flying in the distance, and the scene looked like something I might be able to draw on my ETCH-A-SKETCH. Little Johnny was pulling his RADIO FLYER WAGON, selling BRACH'S CHOCOLATES and HERSHEY'S KISSES for a school fund raiser when one of the wheels fell off his wagon. I grabbed my CRAFTSMAN WRENCHES and STANLEY SCREWDRIVERS to help him fix his wagon. As Johnny stood there in his Cleveland Cavalier NBA UNIFORM jersey, he was very thankful to have his wagon fixed, and said that he was going to e-mail his grandma on his IBM COMPUTER and ask her if she would by any candy from him.
The above scenario, although fictional, is typical of a normal day in America. The products listed in bold type are well known to all of us and have become a part of most of our daily lives. Sadly, none of these products are produced in the United States any longer. The companies that lay ownership to these brands may call themselves American companies, and may have some employees who work in the United States, but the vast majority of workers who manufacture the products that are mostly marketed to the American consumer are underpaid, overworked, mistreated workers who live in many countries throughout the world.
The American worker knows all too well the price they have paid for the corporate greed exercised by so-called multi-national companies. Millions and millions of good-paying family-supporting jobs have been shipped out of this country by companies whose only interest is their own bottom line. While the loyal employees who have helped build these companies have been displaced, the over-paid, under-talented, executives have reaped billions in profits and bonuses.
We in the BCTGM have been very lucky that a large portion of the jobs in our industries have been some what isolated from the new global economy. Corporate greed has impacted many of our union brothers and sisters who work for Hershey's, and mergers and acquisitions have reduced our ranks, but we still have been able to keep most of the jobs that provide not only good wages, but quality health care and pension security for thousands of our members.
We cannot sit back and think that our industry and our jobs are immune from corporate attack. There are container ships the size of Aircraft Carriers that have the ability to travel from China to California in five days! These ships are designed to increase the volume of perishable products that are brought into this country. Think for a moment what that has the potential to do to the baking industry throughout the world. These huge ships can transport 15,000 containers, most of which are returned to China empty after being unloaded at our shores.
We are very proud of our membership and how they have stood behind their elected officials as we continue
the battle for workers rights. You have helped elect a President who is more concerned with jobs and health care
for Americans than any one in the past 60 years. The vote for some form of meaningful health care for all Americans
is happening as this is being written. We will know the results of that vote by the time you receive this newsletter.
Let's hope that those in this country whose only interest is in their own pockets don't have the opportunity to steal
yet another chapter from the American dream.
©2010
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