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Putting Words into Action: Building and Buying in the U.S.A.

A new campaign by UAW and Labor 411 goes beyond talk, taking real steps to return manufacturing – and buying – to the U.S.A.
Putting Words into Action: Building and Buying in the U.S.A.
By Pete Levine ·
Tags: Priorities
Putting Words into Action: Building and Buying in the U.S.A.

Restoring manufacturing jobs to the United States. Creating a thriving, prosperous working class. Producing top-quality, American-made goods at affordable prices.

Everyone talks about it. But how do you do it?

The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) and Labor 411 have started the Build Buy USA campaign, whose goal is to “bring back the well-paying and sustainable manufacturing jobs that supported all of us for generations.”

The need is dire. According to research from the University of California-Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education, one-third of manufacturing workers in this country require public assistance to survive. The situation is even worse for manufacturing workers employed through staffing agencies: Nearly half require public aid.

Build Buy USA is also about recognizing companies that value their workers and workers’ rights. It’s about making smart, ethical choices in what we purchase and, by extension, what kinds of companies we support. Build Buy USA aims to shine a light on just how important it is to buy U.S. products and services.

For instance, did you know that for each manufacturing job created in this country, 3.4 full-time jobs are created in non-manufacturing industries?

Or that buying union-made products means that you’re buying a quality good, produced with craftsmanship?

Or that when you buy American, you’re also taking a stand against sweatshop or child labor, used by many overseas manufacturers?

Or that by buying American you’re taking a step toward saving our planet and cutting down on the harmful ecological impact of transporting foreign-made goods to U.S. shores.

It’s time to stop talking. We need to show how we support America’s workers through action and through our purchasing decisions. Learn more here: http://buildbuyusa.org/

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