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A strong U.S. manufacturing base is essential for maintaining our middle class and providing for our national defense. The combination of the current global economic crisis and a decade-long series of bad policies and the lack of a national industrial strategy has created a steady drop in manufacturing jobs. The nation must reverse this crisis by adopting a comprehensive national manufacturing strategy backed by long-term investments to address our infrastructure, energy and environmental needs. These must be accompanied by financial, trade and tax reform, industry and workforce development, health care and labor law reform.

• Read the AFL-CIO report, The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure Calls for Reform.
• Read the Alliance for American Manufacturing report, Buy America Works.
• Read the Blue Green Alliance report, Full Speed Ahead: Creating Green Jobs Through Freight Rail Expansion.
• Read the AFL-CIO Legislative Issue Brief: Revitalizing U.S. Manufacturing.
• Read the Blue Green Alliance report, Networking the Green Economy.
• Read the Economic Policy Institute report, Unfair China Trade Costs Local Jobs.
• Read the statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act.
• Read the AFL-CIO Executive Council statement: Rebuilding America: Investing in Our Infrastructure for American Jobs.
• Robert Baugh and William Robson: One Issue, Two Voices: Buy American/Buy Canadian: The New Protectionism?
• Read the Blue Green Alliance report, Building the Clean Energy Assembly Line: How Renewable Energy Can Revitalize U.S. Manufacturing and the American Middle Class.
• Find out which companies are sending jobs overseas with Working America’s Job Tracker.
  
  
  

Climate Change, Energy and Environment

• Read reports from the climate change conference in Bonn, Germany:
• Managing Expectations and Decisions on Climate Change
• Mood of Climate Change Talks Change Like the Weather
• Japan Moves Closer to Clean Energy Standards
• Trust, But Verify on Emissions
• 'Just Transition' to Green Economy Gains Support at Bonn Climate Change Talks
• Read the AFL-CIO Legislative Issue Brief on Climate Change, Energy and Environment.
• Read the AFL-CIO Legislative Brief on Green Jobs.
• Read the final report from the AFL-CIO and International Trade Union Confederation on the Copenhagen Accord on Climate Change.
• Study: 2010 Update: Economic Benefits from Advanced Coal Generation.
• Study: "Employment and Other Economic Benefits from Advanced Coal Electric Generation with Carbon Capture and Storage."
• AFL-CIO Executive Council/Convention Resolutions
• Creating and Retaining Sustainable Good Green Jobs.
• Greening the Economy
  

Industrial Union Council

Formed in 2002, the Industrial Union Council (IUC) brings together manufacturing unions to develop strategies and promote policies to revitalize the U.S. manufacturing industries. The IUC takes a leadership role in issues related to the global economy, Chinese currency manipulation, clean energy and development of green jobs.

• Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM)
• Boilermakers (IBB)
• Electrical Workers (IBEW)
• IUE-CWA
• International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
• Machinists (IAM)
• Mine Workers (UMWA)
• Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA)
• UAW
• USW

Related Topics

• Agenda for a strong manufacturing base.
• More information on the fight for global fairness.

Allied Organizations

• Alliance for American Manufacturing
• Blue Green Alliance
• China Currency Coalition
• Coalition for a Prosperous America
• Citizens Trade Campaign
• Green Jobs Center