The fight-back is growing
Whirlpool refrigerators. Hugo Boss suits. Toyota Corollas. What do they have in common?
They’ve all been made by U.S. workers who will soon lose their jobs — if the corporate CEOs get their way. All these major corporations work hard (and spend a lot) to promote a positive corporate image. But they all plan to shut down their U.S. plants and shift production overseas — devastating our communities and taking advantage of workers abroad – even though these plants are profitable. If Corporate America gets its way, good jobs with benefits and economic security will be a distant memory.
But the fight back is growing. Jobs with Justice coalitions and our partners vow to make every plant shut-down costly and to challenge every major lay-off until we win Full and Fair Employment and a New Economy that Works for Everyone.
Last week, JwJ joined the AFL-CIO and IUE-CWA in challenging corporate greed at Whirlpool in Evansville, IN. Thousands of workers and community residents delivered 70,000 petitions to Whirlpool, protesting Whirlpool’s plan to send these jobs to Mexico — after taking millions of dollars in federal economic stimulus funds.
“We’re sending a message to Whirlpool and the rest of these companies that we won;t just sit back and let it happen,” said Tri-State JwJ co-chair Gary Fritz. “Shutting down 1,100 good jobs after taking our tax dollars is inexcusable.”
You can help by signing our petition to Whirlpool.
Hugo Boss makes upscale suits, worn by many Hollywood stars. But some stars, like Danny Glover, are siding with the workers and refusing to wear Hugo Boss suits at the Academy Awards ceremony on March 7, because Hugo Boss and its private investment owners plan to shut down the Ohio Plant next month. Sign a petition asking Hollywood Stars not to wear Hugo Boss.
Cleveland JwJ has been rallying with the workers, members of Workers United, including staging protests at retail outlets where Hugo Boss suits are sold.
Toyota has one – and only one – unionized car factory in America. Originally launched as a partnership with General Motors and the United Auto Workers, the “NUMMI” plant outside San Francisco has been one of the company’s top performers in terms of both car quality and efficiency. Now, Toyota plans to eliminate the 4,500 jobs at the NUMMI plant and the approximately 30,000 jobs that depend on the plant. Across the country, JwJ activists have been supporting the NUMMI workers by protesting at auto shows and pressing the company to honor its commitment to stability for the workers. You can sign a petition supporting the workers.
None of these companies is approaching collapse. All are profitable, but not profitable “enough” to satisfy corporate and Wall Street greed. Shut-downs and lay-offs are choices, not necessities. It is no coincidence that CEO bonuses and Wall Street profits are back to obscene levels while unemployment has reached emergency levels.
JwJ coalitions are committed creating the street heat needed to challenge corporate greed and send a wake up call to Congress that we need bold, emergency action now:
- Extend and expand benefits and support for the jobless
- Prevent the loss of state/local public services (schools, social services, transit, etc.)
- Launch a new federal jobs program, putting people to work doing what communities need
- Rebuild public and private infrastructure, making it greener for the long haul
- Make the financial system work for people (not the other way around) with new regulations, consumer protections, an end to evictions due to foreclosure and a tax on Wall Street speculators
- Fair taxes: make those that benefited from and caused the crisis pay for the clean-up
Think about what the Whirlpool Corp. will do in 2010; they will close their refrigerator manufacturing plant in Evansville, Ind., putting more than 1,100 people out of work. They will produce these refrigerators in Mexico, where weaker labor and environmental laws make them “cheaper.” And we do not hear of “peep” in the press, media or in Washington. This is especially outrageous because Whirlpool received $19 million in from the federal government as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We have a situation where federal economic recovery funds are being used to create jobs in Mexico at the expense of jobs in American and no one cares because those who occupy elitist positions; stockholders, money managers, etc. just see the money that is flowing into their pockets and remain insensitive to the plight of the American worker. While this is going on its CEO Jeff Fettig received an increase in compensation of more than 75 percent in 2009 to $10.8 this included a bonus of $5.9 million. Presumably this is his reward for terminating 5,000 employees.