IUE-CWA Women Members Take a Stand Against TPP

In Dayton, Ohio, IUE-CWA members, AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Liz Shuler and Mayor Nan Whaley met for a news conference and forum on how bad trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have harmed working women in Ohio and beyond. IUE-CWA members talked frankly about their work in manufacturing and how they lost their jobs as plants closed in a "race to the bottom" perpetuated by so-called free traders.

The event was held at the site of Harrison Radiator, a plant that employed hundreds of IUE-CWA members and that was demolished in 2008. Today, all that remains of the plant are the turnstiles through which workers entered every morning.

Barbara Philpot worked at the Harrison plant for over 20 years, and shared her experience:  "My job in manufacturing was an excellent career path for me, as I was able to build a life and provide for my daughter. But things took a sad turn. Because of competition with low-wage plants in Brazil and Mexico, over time, our workforce dwindled until the plant was forced to close in 2008. I was one of the last people there to witness the plant doors being shut and locked. It was a horrible day."

The group urged members of Congress to vote no on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) that will further destroy manufacturing jobs in the U.S. Shuler said, "The industrial heartland of this country is being hollowed out, mainly due to bad trade agreements. That's why we're working every day to figure out a way to put an end to TPP."