Washington, D.C., August 07, 2009 – The president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) cited the unemployment numbers for the month of July as hard evidence that an additional job stimulus program is needed.
“The high-fives are premature,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “Fifteen million jobless Americans cannot cheer these numbers. They are losing everything — their health, their homes and their hope. They need jobs now, not two or three years from now.”
Buffenbarger has repeatedly called for an updated version of programs employed by Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression, including funding for job creation programs such as the Works Progress Administration. In a three-page letter to President Obama, Buffenbarger also urged tax credits for businesses and additional funding for skills training.
“Economists may tout today’s unemployment numbers,” said Buffenbarger. “But to me, they send a cold chill down my spine. For America’s jobless, I fear the worst is yet to come.”
The IAM is among the nation’s largest industrial trade unions, representing nearly 700,000 active and retired members under more than 5,000 contracts in aerospace, transportation, shipbuilding and defense-related industries. For more information, visit www.goiam.org.
