Working America has launched a new interactive website feature called Job Tracker.  Go to workingamerica.org/jobtracker  and plug in your 6 digit zip to find out which companies in your area are exporting jobs, laying off workers, endangering workers' health or involved in cases of violations of workers' rights. The database contains information on more than 400,000 companies nationwide.

A simple search of a Des Moines zip code, 50981, yields these results:
 
 – 2 companies have been reported as exporting jobs
 – 2 companies have been reported as laying off workers due to trade
 – 27 companies filed WARN notices – WARN notices are filed when a company will institute mass layoffs
 – 703 companies have OSHA violations
 – 12 companies have violated labor law according to NLRB records, or have agreed to settlements for alleged violations

Details about which companies they are and where are found in your area are also found on the site.
 
Job Tracker is a useful site for those of us who want to gauge  what is the attitude and climate for workers in an area. There is also a link for workers who want to report a company for any of the above complaints or violations.  What I found most insightful is a new report issued by Working America called  Sending Jobs Overseas: the Cost  to America’s Economy and Working Families. Link

The report’s findings include the fact that outsourcing, while steadily increasing since the 1970s, when Nixon first normalized trade relations with China, has dramatically accelerated since 2004. Outsourcing is also affecting a wider swath of industries and occupations.

The report defines outsourcing for those not familiar with what this extremely profitable corporate trend has done to American workers and our economy. It also narrates anecdotally and statistically what happens in American communities  once their industries have left. It also follows the jobs to places like Monterrey, Mexico to see what effect the industries, under less regulation in the US, have on their new locals where they are also able to pay poverty wages to their new workers.

A profound graph in the report lists those companies and products that have the highest import percentage rates.  In 1997, 23.2 percent of household furnishings were imported. By 2007 that number had risen to 93.5 percent, a 303 percent increase. And as proud as we are of our wind generating capacity, in 1997 25 percent of turbines and turbine generator sets were imported. By 2007 71 percent of those were imported.  Surprisingly, auto imports have changed little over that time period from 50 percent of autos being imported to 56 percent.
 
More than simply report on what has happened to our jobs, the report also examines public policy alternatives to restrain offshoring. Among the suggestions is for congress to pass a comprehensive trade bill to address the chines currency manipulation and illegal subsidies.

The Peterson Institute calculates that a 25 to 40 percent revaluation of Chinese currency would reduce the U.S. trade deficit between $100 billion and $150 billion annually, adding as many as 1 million jobs to the level of American employment.  I think you would agree that the vast majority of the 17 million unemployed in America would be glad to take one of those million jobs.

If you are not a member of a bargaining unit, but want to be kept up to date on organized labor and other reports like these, you can join Working America, an AFL-CIO affiliate group.  By becoming a member you get alerts and stat informed on works issues, you have the right to vote online to help shape working America priorities, similar to Move on. You also receive health saving and legal services through the association with the AFL-CIO.  The main issue forums are living wage, health care for all, safe retirement plans we can all count on, quality education, family medical leave time that is flexible and fair, your rights at work, good jobs.

Plus in some communities, Working America also hires paid canvassers for $11 per hour to help build grassroots strength in communities by organized voters on critical election campaigns. workingamerica.org/about/jobs