On November 23rd, MexicoNow organizers announced they were cancelling their Mexico Aerospace Outsourcing conference scheduled for December 2 at the Seattle Airport Hilton because of potential protests. IAM District 751, is proud to say they were at the lead of coordinating the protests that caused the cancellation.
With Senator Patty Murray, and congresspersons Jay Inslee, Jim McDermott and Rick Larsen, along with SPEEA, the Washington State Labor Council and the army of IAM stewards and members who were prepared to show up and show our opposition to next weeks conference. Together, our solidarity has made a difference in protecting Washington State aerospace jobs.
In addition, we want to thank all of you who took action and helped our brothers and sisters of UFCW. Your messages to grocery store managers and the threat of losing our potential business has helped UFCW members secure a tentative agreement. This is further proof that there is strength in numbers and that can make a difference; together, we have proven it twice this week.
In a statement released by Tom Wroblewski, President and Directing Business Representative of IAM District 751, he said:
Clearly, this is the exact wrong time in America to sit back and allow more jobs to be exported. The goal of next week’s planned protests was to hold the companies taking part in the conference accountable for their actions. At a time when 358,000 Washington state residents are unemployed, untold thousands more have given up on ever finding a job – and one in seven are on food stamps – we felt it was essential that someone ask the conference participants a very pointed question: Why are you working so hard to undermine this state’s economy, and send these vital aerospace jobs out of the country?
I do think it’s time to have a frank discussion about outsourcing in America. Sending work to Mexico or China may win short-term gains for the companies that practice it, but our members know first-hand how it can destroy a company’s – or a nation’s – long-term competitiveness in aerospace. If America is to maintain its leadership in this global industry, our companies and our nation need to invest here at home – and not overseas.
This union remains committed to growing Washington’s aerospace industry, and we will eagerly partner with anyone who wants to help us create more opportunities for aerospace workers – even Sr. Ornelas, should he come to us with a plan that realistically grows jobs in this state. But as long as the goal of MexicoNow is to steal American jobs, we will continue to oppose any effort the group might make to organize any outsourcing conference in Washington state.
"These examples of determination and solidarity are the exact path tthat will bring the US back to prosperity", said IAM General Vice President Gary Allen. "Only when we stand together and demand that US corporations include the impact on US families in their decision process, will we turn this recession around. I applaud the leadership of PDBR Wroblewski, and thank everyone who stood on the side of justice in these battles".
