Broken Promise: FreightCar America in Virginia

[Omaha Steve]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2020 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today began a video series exposing the human cost of President Trump’s broken promises that U.S. workers “won’t lose one plant” and declarations that “[plants] are all coming back.”



The first video highlights workers at Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) Local 6016 in Roanoke, Va. FreightCar America announced in July 2019 that it would be closing and laying off 198 TCU/IAM members. The work moved to Mexico and Alabama.



In September 2020, FreightCar America announced that its Alabama facility would also be closing and shifted production to Mexico.

“President Trump told our members and the nation that he would not only stop our jobs from going overseas, but that he would bring jobs back that we’ve lost,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “These promises have been broken time and time again over the past three years. This administration has turned their backs on tens of thousands of our members and their communities. We need a White House that walks the walk and will defend critical U.S. manufacturing jobs.”



“Trump’s broken promises are on full display at FreightCar America,” said TCU/IAM National President Artie Maratea. “It’s a damn shame that our government continues to let these greedy corporations ship our jobs to Mexico. For some corporations, simply being profitable is never enough – especially when they can ship jobs overseas and pay workers pennies on the dollar. With these kind of broken promises from the Oval Office, I fear the days may be numbered for all the hard-working people in this country.”



“That was one of the things that Trump was really big on, about not letting companies go across the border or overseas,” said TCU/IAM Local 6016 member John Peake. “So, I mean, what’s the deal? Step up and do your job. Stop letting these companies run all over the American people.”



Click here for the IAM’s full list of plant closings under the Trump administration: https://www.goiam.org/press-releases/machinists-union-president-trump-has-broken-his-promises-to-u-s-workers/



The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airlines, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.