In an October speech given to the Detroit chapter of the Labor and Employee Relations Association (LERA), Teamsters President James Hoffa ticked off a list of unionized jobs that had fled the country to escape the encumbrance of Teamster and UAW contracts. Among the list:
• Mr. Coffee – 300 jobs (Teamsters)
• Square D – 300 jobs (Teamsters)
• Oral-B (Teamsters)
• Swingline Staplers – 2000 jobs (Teamsters)
• Whirlpool – 1300 jobs (UAW)
• Electrolux (UAW)
• Carrier Air Conditioners (not specified)
Hoffa decried the loss of a “social contract” in America, which he equated with restrictive trade policies that ignore the realities of a globalized economy. The problem with corporate America – says he – is the desire for profitability.
