Thought I'd share this with you! -- Bard We are a Nation of the Rule of Law; however, I, for one, will not be Ruled by the Lawless. To All Elected Officials: "Stop stealing my earnings that you use to give to those whom you know will vote for you." There's not a dime bit of difference between a DemoRat and a RepubRat, they're simply two wings of the same bird of prey which pecks at your earnings while insidiously devouring your Freedom. BUCHANAN-Reform http://gopatgo2000.com/default.htm Eternal Vigilance - The Price of Freedom!
Dear Brigade, Here is another excellent commentary on GW Bush and his recent trip to Mexico to open a new bridge over the Rio Grande -- the latest avenue for more NAFTA trucks to bring in products produced in Mexico and other sweatshop countries. Trucks that do not need to pass American safety inspections -- nor do they worry about Janet Reno pulling any spot checks for drugs or criminal aliens. After all, Bush-Gore-Clinton wouldn't want to impede free-trade or offend their friend, President Zedillo. Also below is an article on another factory heading south of the border -- this time from Pittsburgh. GO PAT GO!!!!!!! Linda --------------------- Seņor Bush by Scott McConnell April 25, 2000 George W. Bush received what passes for Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo's endorsement yesterday in Nuevo Laredo. "He's a great friend of Mexico" Zedillo assured onlookers at a ceremony for opening of a new bridge over the Rio Grande. For his part, Bush talked about the glories of NAFTA and free trade, promising that "as President, I will look South not as an afterthought but as a fundamental commitment of my presidency." For clarity's sake, let's provide translation into plain, undiplomatic English: George W is saying that he will accept at least implicitly the Mexican government's repeated assertions that United States immigration law enforcement measures are illegitimate. Bush is pledging fealty to NAFTA, ignoring the fact NAFTA has led to a decline in Mexican wages, sharp increase in illegal immigration from Mexico, and a huge spike in illegal drugs sent to the United States. Bush may be a "friend" to Mexico, but he is no ally of the American workers whose jobs are being sent there. That process is ongoing. We include a recent story from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, which describes how a producer of railroad locomotives is breaking up its factories in the United States and shifting them to Mexico, where the workers make a tiny percentage of American wages, and have no benefits. Seņor Bush, good friend to Mexico, applauds. Scott McConnell worked as a columnist and editorial page editor at the New York Post. He holds a PhD in history from Columbia University and presently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for Buchanan Reform. ------------- Wabtec Likely to Cut 175 Jobs at Braddock Production being moved to Mexico By Rick Teaff Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Wabtec Inc., a Wilmerding-based producer of railroad locomotives and other products, told workers in its Braddock plant on Thursday that 175 jobs probably will be cut, bringing the facility down to a work force of about 40. Production of traction motors and a related component would be transferred to an existing Wabtec plant in Mexico perhaps by Aug. 1. Jack Shea, director of organizing for the International Union of Electrical Workers, said the announcement was made to employees yesterday at 2:30 p.m., just before the shift ended at 3 p.m. The Braddock plant is part of the Motor Coils Manufacturing subsidiary. He characterized the approach as "very, very inhuman," and said, "This is once again corporate America walking away from the worker." Tim Wesley, Wabtec spokesman, said if the tentative decision becomes final, the jobs would be moved to a facility established in 1994 to overhaul locomotives for the Mexican railroad. In 1998, 62 Braddock jobs were cut to establish a motor operation in Mexico, and prior to that, 40 Braddock jobs were lost when the company established a separate gear production plant in Mexico. "Motor Coils' competition has opened, and is opening, facilities in Mexico. As a result of that, they face pressure to reduce pricing to remain competitive," Wesley said. "This was prompted by their need to reduce their costs and improve productivity. When your competitors are manufacturing in Mexico, that puts pressure on you." Wabtec yesterday said it earned $16.4 million, or 38 cents a share, in the first quarter on sales of $258.8 million. That compares to earnings of $19.8 million, or 46 cents a share, on sales of $298.5 million in 1999. Shea said workers in Braddock were asked to offer any suggestions that might forestall the job cuts. Wesley said the potential move is not related to the merger last year of MotivePower Industries Inc. and Westinghouse Air Brake Co. to form Wabtec. Merger-related "synergy" has so far resulted in three plant and office shutdowns and the elimination of 421 jobs. There now are 170 hourly workers in Braddock and 45 salary workers. Wesley said if just 40 jobs remain, they will be evenly split between hourly and salary. Shea blamed the moves on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was designed to remove barriers to trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada. In addition to the possible job cuts in Braddock, Wesley said Wabtec plants in Wilmerding and Greensburg have been asked to begin early negotiations for contracts that expire in about a year to "help their competitive positions." Similar requests were made for company plants in Emporium, Pa., and St. Louis. Wabtec is attempting to cut costs to live up to pre-merger promises of reducing expenses by $10 million this year and by an additional $10 million in each of the next two years. Mexico has been among the cost solutions. In October, former MotivePower President Michael Wolf said, "Our profitability has been increasing in (Mexico) upward to 22 to 25 percent (of total corporate profits) as we utilize their lower cost base." Shea contended wages in Mexico are an average $3 an hour, compared to $16 an hour in Braddock. ------------- end ------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ T H E I N T E R N E T B R I G A D E Linda Muller - WebMaster Post Office Box 650266, Potomac Falls, Virginia 20165 Email: http://www.buchanan.org/form-contact.html Web: http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have You O F F I C I A L L Y E N L I S T E D Yet? http://www.buchanan.org/form-enlistment.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The One and Only B R I G A D E Email List! To Subscribe or Unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] With the Message: SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
