Losing it All

The t-shirt on the cover says it all. Luck has nothin’ to do with what happened to the Michigan welder photographed at an unemployment office … or to the other 2 million Americans and Canadians laid off last year.

Elected and appointed politicians worked overtime to sap North America’s might. They fought for NAFTA and Fast Track … funded the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund … and changed trade and tax laws to build foreign plants.

Politicians –– both Republicans and Democrats –– applauded interest rate hikes, a strong dollar and globalization. They let North America’s best jobs flow south of the border and overseas.

When it came time to react –– well, those blow-dried politicians failed to deliver extended unemployment, healthcare coverage or job training. They ignored the dire urgency of unemployed families. They took off for the holidays.

Losing It All takes a hard look at this recession. Viewed through the eyes of those who are out of work, it is a damning indictment of the politicians whose actions have caused the worst recession in a quarter century.

Tom Buffenbarger, IAM President