Machinists Union: President Trump Has Broken His Promises to U.S. Workers
President Trump’s promises to revitalize U.S. manufacturing, pledges that American workers “won’t lose one plant” and declarations that “they are all coming back” have been broken time and time again during his term of office.
Dozens of IAM-represented facilities from coast to coast have closed since Trump took office, affecting thousands of families and their communities. Many of the jobs have been offshored to Mexico, China or other countries with low wages and little to no rights for working people. An IAM policy paper finds that the hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing are still waiting for these jobs to come home, despite the administration’s promises.
A statement from IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr.:
“President Trump’s promises to stand up for U.S. workers, protect our jobs from leaving the country and bring our jobs home from countries like Mexico and China have been broken. We sent letter after letter to President Trump asking for White House assistance in saving these jobs and communities starting soon after he took office. No responses were received.
“Trump didn’t lift a finger to help us save thousands of U.S. jobs at Electrolux in Minnesota, Siemens in Iowa, Schneider Electric in Indiana, FreightCar America in Virginia, and United Technologies in California—just to name a few. His inattention and inaction speaks volumes about his real priorities. It has become clear that working people simply do not matter to this president, unless we are serving as a prop for a photo-op. Remember the photo of Harley-Davidson workers at the White House? Less than a year later, the company announced that it would be closing its IAM-represented plant in Kansas City and opening a plant in Thailand.
“Between the fumbled response to the coronavirus pandemic, the job loss that rivals the Great Depression and the daily rhetoric that serves only to divide working people—this president has struck out with the Machinists Union.”
Electrolux in St. Cloud, Minn., announced in January 2018 that it would be closing and laying off 1,100 IAM Local 623 members. The work moved to South Carolina.
A statement from IAM Local 623 member Joe Baratta, a former employee of Electrolux in St. Cloud, Minn.:
“In the past, we tried everything to save the plant. Some of our members even wrote a letter to President Trump, asking him to do what he pledged during the campaign: Stand up for workers. When a factory closes, it doesn’t just kill jobs. It affects relationships, families and communities. Trump’s land of opportunity should be available to all of us, not just his supporters.”
Siemens Dresser-Rand in Burlington, Iowa announced in April 2018 that it would be closing and laying off 92 IAM Local 1010 (District 6) members. The work moved to India, Hungary, Germany and Czech Republic.
A statement from IAM Local 1010 (District 6) member Robert Morrison, a former 31-year employee of Siemens Dresser-Rand in Burlington, Iowa:
“President Trump came to Burlington in October of 2015. He was in the auditorium and he got up on stage and said he would be the best jobs president God ever created. He’d bring back our jobs from China, Japan and so many other places. And now we see our jobs going away. He did nothing to help us. That’s what really chaps me.”
United Technologies Corp. in Chula Vista, Calif. announced in October 2018 that it would be closing and laying off 266 IAM Local 755 (District 725) members. The work moved to Mexico, Alabama and Washington state.
A statement from IAM Local 755 (District 725) member Jesse Perez, a former employee of United Technologies Corp. in Chula Vista, Calif.:
“How can you tell someone, ‘well why don’t you bring your companies back,’ but yet you don’t bring yours? You got to lead by example. That’s the bottom line. So when [Trump] started opening his mouth about that, to me it was all a lie, and I knew it wasn’t going to happen.”
FreightCar America in Roanoke, Va. announced in July 2019 that it would be closing and laying off 198 Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) Local 6016 members. The work moved to Mexico and Alabama.
A statement from TCU/IAM Local 6016 member John Peake, a former employee of FreightCar America:
“That was one of the things that Trump was really big on, about not letting companies go across the border or overseas. So, I mean, what’s the deal? Step up and do your job. Stop letting these companies run all over the American people.”
List of IAM-represented plant closures under the Trump administration:
Aerojet Rocketdyne, Rancho Cordova, Calif., 300 jobs lost
Air Products and Chemicals, Wilkes Barre, Pa., 150 jobs lost
Alcoa Intalco Works, Ferndale, Wash., 621 jobs lost
Caterpillar, Joliet, Ill., 600 jobs lost
Chevron Phillips Chemical, Fairfield, Iowa, 37 jobs lost
Crown Cork and Seal, Lawrence, Mass., 110 jobs lost
Crown Cork and Seal, Omaha, Neb., 32 jobs lost
Dayton Superior, Elk Grove, Ill., 100 jobs lost
Dentsply International , Des Plaines, Ill., 78 jobs lost
Eaton, Hutchinson, Kan., 149 jobs lost
Electrolux, Saint Cloud, Minn., 1,100 jobs lost
Fabick Machinery, Marion, Ill., 25 jobs lost
FreightCar America, Roanoke, Va., 198 jobs lost
Gear Works, Seattle, 85 jobs lost
Glenridge Machine, Willoughby, Ohio, 22 jobs lost
Goodman, Fayetteville, Tenn., 1,433 jobs lost
Grundfos Water Utility, Aurora, Ill., 45 jobs lost
Harley Davidson, Kansas City, 620 jobs lost
Ikea (Swedwood), Danville, Va., 275 jobs lost
Ingersoll Rand , Buffalo, N.Y., 360 jobs lost
Innio, Waueksha, Wis., 341 jobs lost
Jamestown Metal Products ,Jamestown, N.Y., 70 jobs lost
International Bildrite, International Falls, Minn., 32 jobs lost
Ken Behlmann Automotive Services, Hazelwood, Mo., 30 jobs lost
Koch Industries (Georgia Pacific Wood Products), Coos Bay, Ore., 100 jobs lost
Kroger Co., Columbus, Ohio, 41 jobs lost
Lake Country Foods, Oconomowoc, Wis., 9 jobs lost
Manitowoc Cranes, Manitowoc, Wis., 209 jobs lost
MillerCoors, Irwindale, Calif., 154 jobs lost
Modern Equipment, Port Washington, Wis., 35 jobs lost
New England Confectionery Co., Revere, Mass., 25 jobs lost
Niello Infiniti, Concord, Calif., 18 jobs lost
Prince Manufacturing, Sioux City, Iowa, 47 jobs lost
Regal Beloit, Valparaiso, Ind., 135 jobs lost
Rexnord Industries, Saint Rose, La., 55 jobs lost
Saint-Gobain (Certainteed Ceilings), Meridian, Miss., 96 jobs lost
Schneider Electric, Peru, Ind., 275 jobs lost
Siemens Dresser-Rand, Burlington, Iowa, 92 jobs lost
Siemens Dresser-Rand, Wellsville, N.Y., 312 jobs lost
Siemens Energy, Mount Vernon, Ohio, 30 jobs lost
Syncreon, Kansas City, Mo., 232 jobs lost
Torpedo Specialty Wire, Pittsfield, Pa., 23 jobs lost
Tronair (Columbus Jack), Columbus, Ohio, 28 jobs lost
Truck-Lite, Falconer, N.Y., 171 jobs lost
United Technologies Corp., Chula Vista, Calif., 553 jobs lost
Walter USA, Pewaukee, Wis., 32 jobs lost
Western Industries, Watertown, Wis., 77 jobs lost
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airlines, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
Paid for by Machinists Non-Partisan Political League PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.