USW: Fiber Glass Industries Closure a Direct Result of Unfair Trade Policies

Contact: Richard Knowles, (315) 468-1623, rknowles@usw.org

(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) – The United Steelworkers (USW) released the following statement today from USW District 4 Sub-Director Richard Knowles in response to the announcement that Fiber Glass Industries Inc. will close two plants in Amsterdam, N.Y.

“The closure of Fiber Glass Industries’ plants in Amsterdam is a huge blow to the hard-working USW members whose livelihoods have depended upon the good, middle-class jobs at these facilities.

“As company Chairman John Menzel made clear in his announcement, this decision is a direct result of unfairly low-priced imports from overseas, particularly from China.

“For years, the United States has failed to adequately address China’s continued manipulation of trade and currency rules, across all industries. Likewise, many in our government have failed to provide the support necessary to sustain and grow American manufacturing. These failures have directly cost Americans good-paying, family-supporting jobs. Today’s announcement is yet another example of that failure.

“When the rules are fairly enforced and when our leaders stand up for American manufacturing, our work force can compete with anyone in the world. When they’re not, American workers and their families are the ones who suffer. It’s time for our leaders in Washington to stand up for working Americans by demanding that China, and all of our trading partners, compete on a level playing field so that no more families have to endure the heartache that Amsterdam’s families are experiencing today.”

USW District 4 represents tens of thousands of union members in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Puerto Rico. The USW is the largest industrial union in North America, representing workers in a range of industries including metals, mining, rubber, paper and forestry, oil refining, health care, security, hotels, and municipal governments and agencies.

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