Contact: Steven Capozzola, 202-393-3430 x5 or Emily Brooks, 631-379-8861
PITTSBURGH - With our nation’s economic crisis front and center in the presidential campaign, local business and labor leaders, joined by elected officials, will kick off a statewide tour of “Keep it Made in America” Town Hall meetings here Monday to focus on the need to save U.S. manufacturing jobs and overcome the devastating impact of the U.S. trade deficit.
Sponsored by the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), the tour will make four stops across Pennsylvania as part of a national, nine-city fall 2008 “Keep it Made in America” Town Hall tour held ahead of Election Day. The comprehensive campaign, including broadcast ads and the release of a new educational video, targets voters in key battleground states where manufacturing job loss has become a key issue. The United States has lost more than 3.5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000, and more than 40,000 factories have closed in the past 10 years. Every state has lost jobs, with Pennsylvania shedding more than 207,400 factory jobs since 2000.
The Town Hall programs will encourage voters to press presidential and congressional candidates on their commitment to saving American manufacturing jobs, enforcing U.S. trade laws, and firmly addressing illegal trade practices on the part of countries like China.
In addition to Town Hall meetings, the tour will include stops in Youngstown, OH; Harrisburg, PA; Reading, PA; and, Scranton, PA.
WHO: The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a nonpartisan partnership of leading U.S. manufacturers and the United Steelworkers. Congressional candidates have been invited to speak during the programs.
WHAT: ‘Keep It Made in America’ Town Hall Pennsylvania Tour Free Admission, open to the general public.
TOUR SCHEDULE:
Tour Kick-off, Monday, October 20, 10:30 am
United Steelworkers Headquarters
60 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA.
Participants will include:
• Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing;
• Tom Conway, Vice President, United Steelworkers
• Jack Shea, President, Allegheny County Central Labor Council
The Palace Theatre Town Hall Meeting, Monday, October 20, 6:30 pm
21 West Otterman Street, Greensburg, PA.
Participants will include:
• Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing
• Rep. Tim Murphy, R-PA, 18th District, U.S. House of Representatives
• Steve O'Donnell, Candidate for U.S. Congress, D-PA, 18th District
• Tom Balya, Head County Commissioner, Westmoreland County, PA (D-PA);
• Kim Ward, County Commissioner, Westmoreland County, PA (R-PA)
• David Pasquale, President, Col-Fin Specialty Steel Corp.
• John DeFazio, Director, Pennsylvania United Steelworkers
• Dave Foster, Executive Director, Blue-Green Alliance
• Kerri Houston Toloczko, Senior Analyst, Alliance for American Manufacturing
FEZ Banquet Center Town Hall Meeting, Tuesday, October 21, 6:30 pm
2312 Brodhead Road, Aliquippa, PA.
Participants will include:
• Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing;
• Rep. Jason Altmire, D-PA, 4th District, U.S. House of Representatives
• Melissa Hart, Candidate for U.S. Congress, R-PA, 4th District
• David Pasquale, President, Col-Fin Specialty Steel Corp.
• John DeFazio, Director, Pennsylvania United Steelworkers
• Rachel Martin, Regional Representative, The Sierra Club
• Tony Amadio, Chairman, Beaver County Board of Commissioners
• Kerri Houston Toloczko, Senior Analyst, Alliance for American Manufacturing
Northampton Community Center Town Hall Meeting, Wednesday, October 22, 6:30 pm
16th and Laubach Avenues, Northampton, PA.
Participants will include:
• Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing
• Rep. Charles Dent, R-PA, 15th District, U.S. House of Representatives
• Sam Bennett, Candidate for U.S. Congress, D-PA, 15th District
• John Callahan, Mayor, City of Bethlehem
• Don Cunningham, County Executive, Lehigh Valley
• Jerry Green, President, United Steelworkers Local 2599
• Katie Feeney, Representative, Clean Air Council
• Kerri Houston Toloczko, Senior Analyst, Alliance for American Manufacturing
Genetti Hotel and Conference Center Town Hall Meeting Thursday, October 23, 6:30 pm
77 East Market Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Participants will include:
• Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing
• Rep. Chris Carney, D-PA, 10th district, U.S. House of Representatives
• Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-PA, 11th district, U.S. House of Representatives
• Lou Barletta, Mayor of Hazelton, Candidate for U.S. Congress, R-PA, 11th District
• Steve Yodoff, Vice President of Operations, Intra Metro Industries
• Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121st district, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• Bill Cockerill, Community Liaison, AFL-CIO, Lackawanna County United Way
• Katie Feeney, Representative, Clean Air Council
• Kerri Houston Toloczko, Senior Analyst, Alliance for American Manufacturing
More information is available at: www.americanmanufacturing.org