Last Thursday, I posted a first call to action diary in response to this email I received from Richard L. Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO with an action petition:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
He wrote last week:
"The Whirlpool Corp. is closing a refrigerator manufacturing plant in Evansville, Ind., putting more than 1,100 people out of work. Even worse, Whirlpool will continue to produce these refrigerators, but not in Evansville and not anywhere else in America. They are planning to manufacture them in Mexico, where weaker labor and environmental laws make them "cheaper" for Whirlpool to produce."
1,100 jobs may not seem like a lot to some, unless of course, one happens to be one of those unlucky ones in Evansville, Indiana who got their notification of their coming pink slips from Whirlpool, which is closing its plant on March 26th and moving to Mexico!
2nd Call to Action Petition under the fold....
Richard Trumka wrote further explaining their (and our) predicament:
"This is outrageous and unacceptable, especially in light of Whirlpool’s profitability and the $19 million dollars in economic recovery money Whirlpool recently received from the federal government as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Those are OUR economic recovery funds, not Mexico’s."
So what is Whirlpool doing to repay America for bailing them out? They're taking that $19,000,000 in American taxpayer money, and using it to turn their backs on the American workers!
Richard Trumka knows first-hand the agony that those 1,100 American workers are facing and is doing something about it, but he cannot do it all alone. This is where we come in:
"To protest Whirlpool’s decisions and demand good jobs in America, I’m heading to Evansville next Friday to rally and march with local workers and labor leaders—and I’d like you to join me. No, I’m not asking you to join me in person, but I would like you to sign a petition in solidarity with the Evansville workers for me to deliver to Whirlpool’s management.
Too many people have lost their jobs. Too many jobs have been sent overseas. Enough is enough. Whirlpool’s management can’t take our money, shut down our factories and lay off our workers. It’s not acceptable—and together we’re going to deliver a loud and clear message to Whirlpool: Keep It Made in America and Save Our Jobs."
Just moments ago I received this email from Sherrie Vanover
Proud Member of IUE-CWA Local 808
Dear Robert,
Wow! What a response. In just a few days, more than 38,000 of you have signed our petition to Whirlpool to Keep It Made in America and Save Our Jobs. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
As a proud union member and 18-year employee of Whirlpool in Evansville, I can’t tell you how much it means to all of us in our community to have your support. We’re gearing up for a huge rally on Friday with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka at the Whirlpool plant here in Evansville, and we would love to be able to bring even more petitions."
Please forward this e-mail right now to 10 friends and ask them to click on this link and tell Whirlpool: Keep It Made in America and Save Our Jobs:
http://www.unionvoice.org/...
Now is the time to act, as Whirlpool plans to start closing its refrigerator plant in Evansville, Ind., on March 26. The refrigerators now manufactured at this plant will be produced in Mexico, eliminating 1,100 local jobs. Meanwhile, Whirlpool—the world’s largest home appliance maker—enjoys healthy profits and has received a $19 million economic matching grant that should be creating jobs here in America.
Won't you please, PLEASE join Richard Trumka, Sherrie Vanover, and all the fine folks in Evansville, Indiana and me and sign his action petition today? It will only take a few moments of your time to send Whirlpool a message loud and clear that FREE TRADE IS NOT FREE, that we all stand together in solidarity behind our American workers and we're willing to fight the good fight to keep good paying American jobs right here in the USA!
Thank you all in advance for standing together with Evansville in solidarity!