NAFTA Trade Deal Slams Workers in St. Clair County, MI
16 July 1997
NAFTA Trade Deal Slams Workers in St. Clair County; Employees Whose Jobs Are Going to Mexico Seek Face-to-Face Meeting with President Clinton
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich., July 16 -- Employees at two St.
Clair County manufacturing plants have sent a letter to President Clinton
urging him to visit their plant to "walk in our shoes and see first hand the
destruction NAFTA is causing working families."
Fair Haven Industries, which employs 167 workers, and CNI, which employs
102, are closing their doors and moving to Mexico, where they can take
advantage of Mexican workers who earn only a few dollars a day.
"It took years of hard work by thousands of dedicated employees to make
Fair Haven and CNI successful companies," the employees wrote. "It took NAFTA
just three years to destroy it all.
"We make a decent living that has given us hope of building a better life
for our children," the letter says. "Now, that dream is gone."
Fair Haven is part of Lear Corporation , a company with
$6.2 billion in annual revenues whose profits soared 66 percent in 1996 to
$151 million. Lear President Ken Way made $10.4 million in 1996, enough to
pay the salaries of the 169 workers for nearly three years.
"Still, this is not enough -- they want to squeeze out every last dime by
cutting off our livelihoods and exploiting workers in Mexico," the employees
wrote. "How can we compete with workers in Mexico who make under $1 an hour?"
Fair Haven employees sew seat covers and other components for Ford, GM and
BMW. CNI employees sew armrests and headrests for the Big Three automakers.
NAFTA has cost 420,000 U.S. jobs, the Economic Policy Institute says.
During that period, the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and Canada tripled to
$39 billion.
The following is the text of a letter to President Clinton from Workers at
Fairhaven Industries and CNI, St. Clair County, Michigan:
We are writing on behalf of the 167 workers at Fairhaven Industries and
the 102 workers at CNI to invite you to come to our plants in St. Clair
County, Michigan to walk in our shoes and see first hand the destruction NAFTA
is causing working families like ours. Recently we learned that our plants
will be closing and moving to Mexico. We believe this would not have happened
if it wasn't for NAFTA.
The average employee at our plants has been here 7 to 10 years. We make a
decent living that has given us hope of building a better life for our
children. Now, that dream is gone. Few of us have any realistic hope of
finding new jobs as good as these that provide us with living wages, health
insurance, and pensions.
Fairhaven is part of Lear Corporation, a company with $6.2 billion in
revenues. Lear made $151.9 million in profits in 1996, a 66 percent increase
from the year before. Still, this is not enough -- they want to squeeze out
every last dime by cutting off our livelihoods and exploiting workers in
Mexico who make just a few dollars a day.
CNI has told us they are moving strictly to save money on payroll. Owner
Bill Brennan explained to us that he will save $1.7 million a year and recoup
his investment costs in about 2-1/2 months. We are dedicated, productive
employees. But how can we compete with workers in Mexico who make under $1 an
hour?
It took years of hard work by thousands of dedicated employees to make
Fairhaven and CNI successful companies. It took NAFTA just three years to
destroy it all.
We hope to hear from you. You can reach us through our union, Teamsters
Local 339, 810-985-8127.
SOURCE Teamsters Local 339