USW president Tom Conway appeared on the Leslie Marshall Show last week to discuss the need to invest in U.S. manufacturing and infrastructure to improve American security.
Covid-19 spotlighted the danger of the country’s overseas dependence, but the failure of the United States to produce enough supplies to fight the virus is just one manifestation of a larger problem.
“The failure to invest in domestically-produced infrastructure exists throughout the entire supply chain,” said Conway.
Decades of failed trade policies incentivized cheap, offshore production, which cut family-sustaining manufacturing jobs and undermined the ability of the U.S. to provide for itself.
“America’s not going to find itself out of this deep economic crisis we’re in now if we don’t begin to make things here, on our own,” said Conway.
Conway also discussed the need to invest in the country’s essential workers – many of whom have risky jobs but are not making fair, livable wages.
“We’re calling all these people essential workers, and we’re paying them nine dollars an hour,” said Conway. “It really comes to a point where you can’t have a country that keeps chasing itself to the bottom.”
Conway expressed hope in the younger generation, who are leading the fight by demanding social and economic change.
“I think that we’re going to see a change in the way young people think about doing things collectively and organizing collectively,” said Conway. “We can overcome the corruption, but together we have to work with our boots on the ground to take back our democracy.”
For the entire interview with Conway about manufacturing, infrastructure and national security, click below: