The Keep it made in America caravan couldn’t have picked a better time to roll into Hamtramck.
On Monday, a who’s who of labor and human rights leaders visited town to spread the word that to turn America around we have to make sure American jobs stay on these shores.
Jesse Jackson spoke, as did congressmembers Sander Levin, John Conyers and Debbie Stabenow as well as famed actor Danny Glover.
Their message was a simple one to manufacturers: If you want Americans to buy your product, build it here.
Are you listening General Motors and American Axle & Manufacturing?
General Motors is planning to close four plants and ship that work overseas, and American Axle says it will shut down 85 percent of its production at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant and transfer those jobs to a plant in Mexico.
Since the year 2000, Michigan has lost over 700,000 jobs to plants located overseas and Mexico – plants owned by American companies.
When people lose their decent paying middle class jobs, the domino effect on other businesses is swift and cutting.
You do the math: if manufacturing jobs are lost here, a whole bunch of other jobs that depend on those workers and their income disappear as well.
And to add insult to injury, the auto companies received billions in a federal bailout. Their auto suppliers are also likely to receive federal aid.
It makes sense that if these American companies accept taxpayers’ money, they ought to be obligated to keep their jobs here in America. Otherwise, we suggest GM and American Axle go looking for bailouts from Mexico or Asia or wherever they plan to transfer our jobs.
And besides that, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if Americans don’t have jobs, or enough decent paying jobs, no one here will be able to afford their products.
It’s curious, when did manufacturers start hating Americans so much?