Here’s a “from the field” account of the first day tour activities, by Mike Mitchell:

“Rally down St. Louis, Mo. Went close to 300 hundred people there, seven buses. A list of great speakers: President Leo Garrard, Senator Clair McCaskill, Rev. Jessie Jackson, the Mayor among others.
The crowd was very responsive to the speakers, and lots of petitions [were] signed. We served hot dogs, pop and water and got lots of media coverage: news papers and TV. There were Steelworkers , UAW, CBTU and SEIU [members] present at the Rally.”

And here’s how Rachel Bennett Steury saw it, riding on Bus #3, as she put it: “the place to be”!

“Hey, I wanted to send an update on our first day out on the tour. It had its kinks but we worked through them all together. Bus 3 has an awesome group of activists working to make these events successful. USW SOAR brother Mongo has been diligently talking with the crowds at each event to get folks to sign our “Made in America” petition. He hands out buttons to those who sign the petition, so needless to say, he has a 1,000 to 0 winning streak. Brian, our UAW Local 2335 brother on the bus has been helping with banner set up, petitions, and will be speaking about his job and layoff at the events tomorrow. Cheryl: my sister, my friend helps with banners and signs and anything else that needs a woman of steel’s touch. Tony, being the media coordinator, not only works the phone, but also works the mic and speaker, so that our speakers can be heard loud and clear. Rob, our multi-media producer on the bus also helps out in any way he can, hauling boxes from McBride Hall to handing out t-shirts all while writing and taking pictures for the website. And last but not least Benny, our driver who is cautious but diligent in getting us to our locations on time. What a great crew!

Our Merrillville IN event drew about 200 Steelworker activists and several speakers including USW Executive Vice President Tom Conway, District 7 Director Jim Robinson, US Steel’s Public Policy Manager and Senator Lonnie Randolph. There were also elected officials who joined the rally at the last minute so they could wish Bus #3 well as we started our adventure down I-65. Chants of “BUY IT HERE…BUILD IT HERE…BUY IT HERE…BUID IT HERE” could be heard far and wide. Blanca, and Steve, and Becky helped lead the crowd in synchrony.

South Bend had a warm welcome for Bus 3. UAW Local 5 greeted us with a cookout and fellowship. Micky Mick, Corry and the gang really cooked it up, and sent us on our way with snacks for the long road ahead. There were several people from the South Bend labor movement that attended and spoke, including the North Central Labor Council President Bob Warnock and Jobs with Justice Coordinator Joe Carbonne. Jim Robinson made it clear that he cared about autoworkers, and steelworkers and tire builders and paper workers and those are the folks he rallies for. A professor from the Notre Dame Higgins Labor Research Center laid out the raw facts of Wall Street Bailouts and Main Street recovery.

There are several folks that have helped thus far to help us with logistical emergencies that I’d like to recognize. Rubino’s Music, Sound and lighting in Merrillville opened their doors an hour early to provide us with a last-minute microphone adaptor. Dan from the Mishawaka Guitar Center successfully searched long and hard for a microphone and cable that were both made in the USA. Sara from the Volcano Italian Restaurant in South Bend eased our day with tons of garlic bread and a smile. Many thanks to those who help those who help.”

Thanks, Rachel and Mike! What a busy and inspiring day! We’ll bring you field accounts of Day Two of the Keep It Made In America Tour, soon. Stay tuned.

Community leaders, workers join ranks to spotlight 7.2 million U.S. auto-related jobs across America

Washington, D.C. (May 7, 2009) – More than 7.2 million paychecks are dependent on U.S. autos, including health care, education, service, retail and other jobs. That’s the message workers, community leaders, elected officials, labor leaders, and others will bring to an 11-state, 34-city “Keep it Made in America” bus tour the week of May 11. Regular tour updates will be posted at www.madeinamericatour.org.

Leo W. Gerard, USW international president, says, “This jobs crisis goes deeper than auto companies and assembly workers in Detroit. Reducing U.S. auto manufacturing drives down overall employment, from the people who make auto catalogs and shipping boxes to workers making glass for windshields, rubber for tires and other materials.”

Workers from the bus tour, business leaders, national labor leaders, mayors, federal lawmakers and economists will join ranks again on May 19th at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., for a day-long ‘teach-in’ conference on the impact of the automotive supply chain in communities.

Bus tour participants will include workers from steel, iron, glass, plastics and rubber, aluminum and auto parts facilities, local auto dealers, community employers, and local community and elected leaders. The tour is sponsored by the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), the Mayors and Municipalities Automotive Coalition (MMAC), and the United Steelworkers (USW).

Organizers cite President Obama’s comments at his April 30 press conference on his first 100 days as saying: “If you are considering buying a car, I hope it will be an American car.” The “Keep it Made in America” tour supports the President’s call that recognizes the millions of jobs tied to the fate of the U.S. auto industry.

Auto parts suppliers drive economic growth in states all over the country. Auto parts suppliers are either the top industrial employer, or among the top five industrial employers, in 19 U.S. states. Among the states on the “Keep it Made in America” tour, auto parts suppliers are the top industrial employer in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri. Auto parts suppliers are among the top five industrial employers in Illinois, Arkansas and Alabama.

The USW president says, “Nationwide, if we cut American auto jobs to support auto imports, the consequences for service sector jobs will be severe. The waitress at the neighborhood diner, the teacher at the community school, accountants, bankers, firefighters, and police officers will all likely see their jobs affected. We need to send a message to Congress and the Obama Administration that Americans recognize we must make things here. We don’t need more off-shoring. We need jobs – we need to rebuild domestic manufacturing and our auto industry.”

“You’ll notice that Shreveport is nowhere near Detroit, but making quality American vehicles and making parts for those vehicles has created terrific business opportunities in our community for other manufacturers, auto dealers, advertisers, radio and TV stations, and dozens of other local companies,” said Cedric B. Glover, Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana. “These are the companies that form the tax base to pay for local services like schools, police, and fire departments, and they sponsor kids’ programs and contribute to local charities. Our quality of life has benefitted from opportunities afforded by the U.S. auto industry.”

“We all have a stake in a strong domestic automobile industry. That’s why we will put forward a plan to strengthen the automotive supply chain and get America back to work,” said Scott Paul, executive director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a labor-management partnership.

May 11-May 14 Bus Tour Routes
For more details in bus tour stops: www.americanmanufacturing.org. A website with stories from the tour and conference, www.madeinamericatour.org, will premier on May 11.
St. Louis, MO to Arlington, TX (May 11-14) – St. Louis, MO, Cape Girardeau, MO, Humboldt, TN, Memphis, TN, Little Rock, AR, Texarkana, AR, Shreveport, LA, Longview, TX, Arlington, TX

Indianapolis, IN to Fairfield, AL (May 12-14) – Indianapolis, IN, Louisville, KY, Owensboro, KY, Bowling Green, KY, Springfield, TN, Nashville, TN, Spring Hill, TN, Decatur, AL, Fairfield, AL

Merrillville, IN to Dayton, OH (May 11-13) – Merrillville, IN, South Bend, IN, Logansport, IN, Kokomo, IN, Ft. Wayne, IN, Bowling Green, OH, Van Wert, OH, Dayton, OH

Dearborn, MI to Bay City, MI (May 11-12) – Dearborn, MI, Hamtramck, MI, Sterling Heights, MI, Pontiac, MI, Wyoming, MI, Lansing, MI, Saginaw, MI, Bay City, MI

To find out specific job loss numbers visit our website.

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State Auto Jobs Data Sources: Level Field Institute; The Center for Automotive Research, 2007 Report; National Automobile Dealers Association, 2005 NADA Data, 2004 employment; Auto Assemblers’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, which includes state-by-state data; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, State and County Employment (NAICS Code 3361 Motor Vehicle Manufacturing), 2004 employment.

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The Alliance for American Manufacturing is a unique non-partisan, non-profit partnership forged to strengthen manufacturing in the U.S. AAM brings together a select group of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers to promote creative policy solutions on priorities such as international trade, energy security, health care, retirement security, currency manipulation, and other issues of mutual concern. For more information: www.americanmanufacturing.org.