Op-Ed " Buy American" United Steelworkers AFL-CIO,CLC

For years, Upstate New York was a hub of economic activity and industrial growth. The manufacturing industry flourished here into the middle of the 20th century and good, middle-class jobs were plentiful and easy to find.

Generations of Steelworker families worked in the same plants and factories, creating the products that made New York a leader in the global economy. But over time, the economy changed. Production and manufacturing industries struggled, many closed or moved overseas. Grown men with tears in their eyes asking” how will I feed my family now”. Cities in Central New York languished and become virtually unrecognizable compared to their peaks decades prior.

The hard truth is that the Local, State and Federal government did not stand up for New York workers, and as the economy changed, upstate New York was left behind.

But there has been a dramatic shift over the last few years. In order to reverse decades of neglect, I believe Governor Cuomo has taken a fundamentally different approach. With the help and support of many County and State legislators he has taken dramatic action and put real money on the table in order to turn the upstate economy around. As a result, unemployment rates are down across the board and we’ve seen unprecedented public and private sector investment in Syracuse and beyond. While we have a long road ahead we are moving in the right direction.

New companies are choosing to invest in and relocate to Central New York, and they are bringing with them thousands of new, good, high-paying jobs. But even with all this progress, there’s still more to do to support workers and our manufacturing economy, and that’s why the Governor’s proposal to make a statewide commitment to Buy American is so important to the lives and livelihoods of working men and women.

Today, one in every nine upstate workers is employed in the manufacturing industry and on its own, upstate manufacturing firms outpace 28 states in terms of total output. For these workers, the demand for the goods they produce is essential to their livelihood. The Governor’s Buy American plan will make sure that all procurements from every state entity totaling $100,000 or more requires purchasing from an American firm – made by American workers. This is a game changer.

Under the Governor’s proposal, no other state in the nation will have a greater dedication to American labor. Across the country, other states often have a case-by-case commitment to buying American-made goods. A police force may mandate that their uniforms are made in America or a state may buy only American steel for their construction projects, but nowhere is there a comprehensive, statewide commitment to Buy American for all procurements. This will be the strongest program in the country, period.

Under the Governor’s initiative – from steel to paper, hammers to pencils – no matter what is being purchased, preference will be given to American firms employing American workers.

This is about putting workers first. This is about making sure that New York manufacturing jobs remain where they belong and ensuring that families in our upstate communities can continue to thrive. Until now, we’ve been missing an opportunity to further support our working men and women. State government has the opportunity to be a powerful force, leveraging projects and purchases it makes regularly to better assist the people it serves – one that we simply cannot pass up. I cannot overemphasize the tremendous impact that this proposal could have.

The bottom line is that this is the best thing to do for New York's working families. This is not just good for Central New York, not just for upstate New York, but good for the nation, because in New York, when we take a step, the rest of the country follows our lead. Nothing is more important for the future of manufacturing in our state than this commitment to buy American-made goods and invest in our workers, and there has never been a more important time to commit.

With this critically important initiative, Governor Cuomo is sending the message to thousands of workers that their state has their back, not just in words, but in action. I urge the legislature to join Governor Cuomo in putting workers and their families first.