Stop Outsourcing Iowa!
WATERLOO – Thirty
Black Hawk County residents gathered in the Law Court Theatre at the
Waterloo Center for the Arts this past week to talk about the
outsourcing of jobs in Iowa and across the nation.
This was the first of five meetings, called 'Stop Outsourcing Our
Future,' to be held by the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign. “Waterloo was
obviously a good place for the first meeting,” said organizer Dave
Leshtz. “People in this area are very aware of the damage that
outsourcing does to a community.”
Steve Abbott, President of the Black Hawk Labor Council, AFL-CIO, told
the group that everyone's jobs are now threatened by the trade policies
of the Bush administration. According to the Department of Labor,
Iowa has lost over 28,000 manufacturing jobs in the last three
years.
“It's absolutely crucial that voters understand how the trade
agreements now being negotiated by the Bush administration will cause
even more severe job losses for communities like ours,” said Waterloo
resident Bonni Winther.
Meeting participants plan to get together again on Thursday, September 23,
at 7:00 PM at the Waterloo Public Library, to talk about education and
action strategies. For more information, call Steve Abbott at
319-939-2127.
The Iowa Fair Trade Campaign was formed during the Iowa caucuses to
educate the Presidential candidates and make voters aware of their
choices on issues of global trade. “These meetings are a good way
to let folks know that there are real differences between George Bush
and John Kerry on international trade policies,” said Abbott.
The Iowa Fair Trade Campaign currently has these town hall
meetings scheduled.
Marshalltown
, Sept. 27, Iowa Valley Community College, 7-8:30pmMason City, Sept. 29, Public Library, 7-8:30 pm
Keokuk, Sept. 30, Public Library, 6:30-8:00 pm
Muscatine, Oct. 2, Muscatine Commuity College, 10:30-Noon
Please spread the word about these meetings and let Iowa Fair Trade
Campaign organizer Dave Leshtz know if you'd like to have a
meeting in your part of the state. Suggestions are welcome. Contact Dave at dleshtz@ia.net or 319-621-4205.
For more information on the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign, click here.
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