USW Celebrates 100+ ‘Buy American’ Resolution Wins

PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers (USW) today celebrated an important milestone in its economic renewal campaign: the passage of a “Buy American” resolution in more than 100 states and municipalities across the nation. 

The Pittsburgh City Council today passed the measure, bringing the total of approved resolutions to 103. The resolution has been passed or is pending passed in several states, including West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Texas. You can track the resolutions on our interactive map on www.usw.org.

USW members have gotten the resolution introduced in nearly 600 states, cities, townships, boroughs and other local governments since its Make Our Future Work campaign kicked off in January.

“The ‘Buy American’ resolution ensures our tax dollars are used to create jobs at home. It’s smart policy,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “In order to pull our country and the world out of this economic mess, we have to refocus the American economy on manufacturing. This will rebuild the middle class and our nation.” 

The resolution, which can be found at www.usw.org/buyamerican, calls on our local and state governments to:

  • Maximize the creation of American jobs and restore economic growth and opportunity by spending economic recovery plan funds on products and services that both create jobs and help keep Americans employed.
  • Commit to purchasing only products and services that are made or performed in the United States of America whenever and wherever possible with any economic recovery monies provided by the American people.
  • Commit to publish any requests to waive these procurement priorities so as to give American workers and producers the opportunity to identify and provide the American products and services that will maximize the success of our nation’s economic recovery program.

“I live in Pittsburgh. I work here. My children go to the public schools here. I want my children to grow up here, and in order for them to stay here, we have to have good, American jobs here. I’m so grateful for the Pittsburgh City Council and the local leaders around our country who have passed the resolution. It’s a huge step towards making that dream a reality,” said Maria Somma, one of the many Steelworkers who spoke at today’s Pittsburgh City Council meeting, where the “Buy American” proclamation passed unanimously.

The United States is, by far, the world’s largest importer, bringing in $819 billion in goods in 2007, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama requires that American-made steel is used in infrastructure projects.

“We can afford to invest in our economy without breaking any international trade obligations,” Gerard said. “Significant investment in infrastructure will create tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs if U.S.-made goods are used. We thank the economic patriots who have stepped up to the plate and passed our resolution. They are doing their part to help create jobs and repair our broken economy.”

A recent University of Massachusetts study finds that infrastructure investment could create as many as 18,000 jobs for every $1 billion invested. And recent polls by Pew and Harris Interactive show that more than 80 percent of Americans support “Buy American” provisions.

For more information about “Buy American” and the USW’s economic renewal campaign, visit www.makeourfuturework.org or www.usw.org.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada employed in the industries of metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service sector. 

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