It's Time To Urge Legislators to use stimulus monies to Make Our future work by putting americans back to work!

The United Steelworkers (USW), in conjunction with the Ohio AFL-CIO, many union partners and the Alliance for American Manufacturing have been traveling throughout the cities and counties of Ohio to gain support for the Buy American Resolution, committing to use stimulus funds only for the purchase of U.S. products and services.

The $787 billion Economic Recovery Act signed by President Obama on February 17th includes a Buy American provision requiring that any public works project funded with stimulus dollars use only iron, steel and other manufactured goods produced in the U.S. This provision was added to the stimulus bill in order to ensure that tax dollars are used at home to maximize their economic impact and to stem layoffs in America’s manufacturing and construction industries. 

A recent University of Massachusetts study found that infrastructure investment could create up to 18,000 jobs for every $1 billion invested.  The Recovery Act provides for about $48 billion in transportation projects and $30 billion in other infrastructure improvements. 

The Buy American clause must be applied consistent with U.S. international agreements and can be waived if it’s in the public interest to do so or if it would result in an increase in project cost of more than 25 percent. 

The resolution 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.

If you are interested in learning more, visit www.makeourfuturework.org or www.usw.org

Look who has endorsed the Buy American Provision:
Akron
Ashtabula County
Austintown Township
Barberton
Barnesville
Belmont Co.
Boardman Township
Bridgeport
Canton
Cincinnati CBTU Chapter
City if Girard
City of Alliance
City of Amerst
City of Benton Ridge
City of Conneaut
City of Eastlake
City of Findlay
City of Findlay
City of Hubbard
City of Lorain
City of Marion
City of Massillion
City of McComb
City of Mingo Junction
City of New Philadelphia
City of Newton Falls
City of Niles
City of Steubenville
City of Struthers
City of Warren
City of Willowick
Clark Co.
Cleveland
Columbus
Columbus
Cuyahoga Co.
Cuyahoga Heights
East Liverpool
Euclid
Franklin
Garfield Heights
Garfield Heights
Geneva
Jefferson Co.
Lake Co.
Licking Co.
Lorain County
Mahoning County
Marion County
Martins Ferry
Middleburg Hts.
Monroe Co.
Montpelier
Muskingham County
North Olmsted
Ohio Attorney General
Ohio Democrat Party
Ohio Executive Branch
Ohio State Legislature
Parma
Poland Township
Richland Co.
Secretary of State
Shadyside
Sheffield Lake
Sheffield Village
Stark
Summit
Trumbull County
Village of Brookside
Village of Convoy
Village of McDonald
Village of Tiltonsville
Village of Woodsfield
Village of Yorkville
Warren Co. Board of Ed.
Warren Township
Warrensville Heights
Washington Co.

If you do not see your city, village or county represented, contact Donnie Blatt to find out how to get involved locally.

The following resources also may be helpful:

• Talking points to help you talk to elected officials, media and others about the Make Our Future Work "Buy American" resolution. Download by clicking here.

• Talking points to help educate you about waivers some businesses are trying to get to avoid "Buy American" rules. Download by clicking here.

• A press release template you can use to help celebrate when local and state governments pass the resolution. You'll need to customize this to fit your needs, but this is a filll-in-the-blanks guide. Download by clicking here.

• A flier you can use at the worksite. Click here to download the leaflet.

• A report released by the Alliance for American Manufacturing that offers indepth facts and excellent answers that deflect very misleading reports from those opposing Buy American provisions in the economic recovery package. Click here to download the report.

• A full-page ad placed in the congressional publication, Roll Call, that calls on lawmakers to support the measure. Click here to download the ad.

• A Buy American fact sheet provided by our allies, Allliance for American Manufacturing, available by clicking here. This helps dispel some of the myths about the issue and provides good facts that are helpful when discussing this important topic.

• Two recent national polls that show Americans overwhemingly support Buy American provisions in economic renewal spending by the federal, state and local governments. Read more about the polls by clicking here.