Labor March through Granite City’s Main Street Tells Congress: Put America Back to Work

Granite City, Ill. (Feb. 10) – Over 5,000 laid off steelworkers and their supporters were joined by a coalition of unions and community groups in a march today calling on Congress to pass legislation that invests in America and puts people back to work.  The march began at the mostly idle U.S. Steel plant here where 1,600 are on layoff and proceeded through Main Street, ending a mile away at the Amsted Rail Foundry where 600 employees face imminent layoff.

United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard sent a statement to the crowd, telling them the union was supporting Congressional proposals that invest in America’s future. 

“Congress must pass legislation that creates jobs by stimulating our economy through public funding of rebuilding our country’s infrastructure,” he said.  “We need a strong, vibrant, forward-looking manufacturing sector that puts people back to work making products for the new century.

“The creation of wealth and middle-class prosperity comes from an economy that thrives on making things,” Gerard said.  “Communities like Granite City have been hard-hit by this recession.  We’ve got to turn this economy around before things get any worse.”

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