By: Daniel Nardini
Previously, I had written about the workers at Sensata Technologies, located in Freeport, Illinois, losing their jobs. They were informed about their jobs being outsourced back in December to China, and that their jobs would be gone by the end of 2012. But the Sensata workers did not take this lying down. They have protested openly at Sensata Technologies about the loss of their jobs. They have held news events to publicize their plight. And they have appealed to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (as well as current U.S. President Barack Obama) to help save their jobs. Mitt Romney can actually do something about it—he is an important member of Bain Capital. Bain Capital owns Sensata Technologies, so any word from Romney could have some influence. Mitt Romney had pledged to save American jobs. Now that opportunity has come up. So far neither Mitt Romney nor the Mitt Romney Campaign have pleged to help the Sensata workers. Hopefully this will change soon. The Sensata workers have the full support of Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp and the City Council. Neither Gaulrapp nor the Freeport City Council want the city to lose any more quality jobs.
What is happening in Freeport is still happening around the country—good paying American jobs are still being lost as corporations continue to outsource these jobs to China and other Third World countries. To do something about this horrid loss of jobs, U.S. Senator Debbie Ann Stabenow (Democrat-Michigan) has introduced the Bring Jobs Home Act. This legislation, which has the support of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois), would provide tax incentives and other benefits to those companies who relocate in the United States and provide jobs for Americans. At the same time the bill would strip companies that outsource jobs outside the country of their tax breaks and other benefits. This legislation is long overdue and is absolutely necessary because corporations will not invest for the most part in this country nor create American jobs. This trend of outsourcing of American jobs to Third World countries, where the wages are lower and the work laws are either not enforced or non-existent, has been going on for over 40 years. For the past 20 years this trend has gotten worse, especially as American corporations have relocated high paying American jobs to China, Indonesia and other Third World countries.
Such laws to protect American jobs should have been enacted years ago, so that the majority of good paying American jobs would have been saved. Fortunately, this is what happened in Germany, and why Germany’s manufacturing sector is still largely in one piece. Sadly, this has not happened because too many of the politicians here were bought and sold by the American corporations who know only the profit margin and not country and honor. Sadly, this piece of legislation is dead in the Senate committee, and has an estimated 28 percent chance of passing and becoming law officially. I would say the unofficial odds for it passing are even lower. Since the corporations, more than ever since a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, can allow them to contribute more money to any candidate they want means that more and more of our politicians will be beholden to the corporations. But then, that is what the corporations want. Like the case of the Sensata workers, what I am talking about is a bread and butter issue for Americans. With the economy as bad and uncertain as ever, jobs are becoming an ever bigger issue. I recommend to all my readers and everyone else to get out there and write to their representative and senator about supporting the Bring Jobs Home Act and giving support to the Sensata Workers.
The Bring Jobs Home Act
By: Daniel Nardini
What is happening in Freeport is still happening around the country—good paying American jobs are still being lost as corporations continue to outsource these jobs to China and other Third World countries. To do something about this horrid loss of jobs, U.S. Senator Debbie Ann Stabenow (Democrat-Michigan) has introduced the Bring Jobs Home Act. This legislation, which has the support of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois), would provide tax incentives and other benefits to those companies who relocate in the United States and provide jobs for Americans. At the same time the bill would strip companies that outsource jobs outside the country of their tax breaks and other benefits. This legislation is long overdue and is absolutely necessary because corporations will not invest for the most part in this country nor create American jobs. This trend of outsourcing of American jobs to Third World countries, where the wages are lower and the work laws are either not enforced or non-existent, has been going on for over 40 years. For the past 20 years this trend has gotten worse, especially as American corporations have relocated high paying American jobs to China, Indonesia and other Third World countries.
Such laws to protect American jobs should have been enacted years ago, so that the majority of good paying American jobs would have been saved. Fortunately, this is what happened in Germany, and why Germany’s manufacturing sector is still largely in one piece. Sadly, this has not happened because too many of the politicians here were bought and sold by the American corporations who know only the profit margin and not country and honor. Sadly, this piece of legislation is dead in the Senate committee, and has an estimated 28 percent chance of passing and becoming law officially. I would say the unofficial odds for it passing are even lower. Since the corporations, more than ever since a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, can allow them to contribute more money to any candidate they want means that more and more of our politicians will be beholden to the corporations. But then, that is what the corporations want. Like the case of the Sensata workers, what I am talking about is a bread and butter issue for Americans. With the economy as bad and uncertain as ever, jobs are becoming an ever bigger issue. I recommend to all my readers and everyone else to get out there and write to their representative and senator about supporting the Bring Jobs Home Act and giving support to the Sensata Workers.