IUE-CWA Urges Government to Act on Silicone Dumping

IUE-CWA Local 83693 President Antonio Williams (left) met with Senator Doug Jones' (D-AL) Legislative Director Mark Libell in Washington, DC.

IUE-CWA Local 83693 President Antonio Williams from Selma, Ala., testified last week before the International Trade Commission about silicone dumping that caused a Selma plant to close temporarily, harming workers and the community:

"My union and our members are extremely concerned about the harm that imports of silicon metal from Australia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Norway have inflicted on Globe and its workers," said Williams. "I have worked at the plant for 13 years as a furnace operator. My job has enabled me to support my family ‒ my wife and our two daughters."

"The Selma plant is an important employer for the surrounding area as a source of long-term good union manufacturing jobs. I can tell you based on my own experience how important my employment at the Selma plant is to me and my family. The Selma plant was shut down from February 2016 through June 2017 and I was laid off. During that period, I had to find two jobs. I had to work 60 hours per week to make less than what I made at the Selma plant where I worked 40 hours."

"We are very proud of the work we do and we work hard to be efficient and safe. But we cannot compete with imports that are dumped and unfairly subsidized. We suffered when the Selma plant was shut down for over a year. Please help us keep our jobs and the plant open. We need the support of our government to make sure we are able to compete on a level playing field."