Building Trades News

Selling of America

By Richard Slawson, Executive-Secretary

The Selling of America might be a good thing if we were talking about an advertising campaign to improve peoples’ views about our country. But we’re talking about our elected officials in Washington, DC. Both Republican and Democratic are, in some cases, voting to allow American jobs and businesses to be sold to the lowest bidder in foreign nations across the world. The Ports Management deal with the United Arab Emirates that was approved and supported by the Bush Administration is only the most recent example. Aiding and abetting the rush of jobs and businesses being sent overseas is the world’s largest company – Wal-Mart. Did you know that Wal-Mart deals with 7,600 American or foreign factories in 60 countries? The company also brags about training 7,900 suppliers and factory managers. The CEO of Wal-Mart, Lee Scott presents these facts as a positive activity apparently after years of the company being attacked by human rights activists and international agencies, including the International Labor Organization for contracting with suppliers who had terrible human rights records. But, arguing about how their foreign suppliers treat their workers misses the most important issue. The real issue is that 7,600 factories exist in foreign countries because of Wal-Mart’s policies when they could all be in the United States. These factories could all have been built by American craftsmen and women, instead they are built to Wal-Mart’s specifications, by workers receiving less than 50¢ an hour. The Wal-Mart Effect, as some call it, is having a direct effect on American craft workers as well, when Wal-Mart brings contractors from out of our area to build new stores and distribution centers with workers from other states who will work for less. All just to build more stores for less of an investment in the community, so that they can sell more foreign-made products at cheaper and cheaper prices, to make higher profits at the expense of everyone except for the Walton family. Members of the Walton family are each worth billions of dollars. They have accumulated so much money from selling cheap foreign-made products that they now total five of the 10 richest people in the world. I don’t think that there is anyone in this country who doesn’t believe that everyone deserves a good return for their work. However, $30 to $50 billion dollars for each of five Walton family members is too much money for any one family to control. The President, the House and the Senate, the Walton Family and at least 49 other companies are selling out the interest of all but the stock holders and the ultra-rich of America. If anyone believes that President Bush doesn’t have something to gain by not requiring a limit on the export of business and jobs, and the lack of oversight by the United States Department of Justice’s Anti-Trust Division in the day-to-day dealings and mergers of Wal-Mart and the other biggest Corporations operating here, all you have to do is look at the Boards, corporate deals and hand outs that President Bush, Sr. has been a part of since his departure in 1992. Building trades craft unions across America are incredulous that they are losing work and no U.S. corporate or trade policies are there to stop it. Factories aren’t built. Products aren’t manufactured and jobs aren’t available to American workers because of Wal-Mart and companies like them. There is only one way to effect our future and it’s political. We have to elect officials, from the President down to the City Council member, who first and foremost, will balance American interests with foreign trade interest. We need to make this our biggest issue before America turns into a third world economy and country. Tell your representatives that they won’t get your vote unless they make America First.

 

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