Wednesday, July 28, 2010
10:25 AM
Steelworkers blast Johnson for trade agreement support
The United Steelworkers Union, in a strongly worded press release, slammed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson for supporting " job-destroying trade deals" like NAFTA and GATT.
At a WisPolitics luncheon Monday, Johnson said as someone whose company does business on a global scale, he supports the controversial free trade pacts that some argue have contributed to the state's manufacturing decline.
"It's a global economy; we've got to trade," Johnson said. "It works. I'm definitely supportive."
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Middleton, voted against NAFTA, CAFTA and most favored nation status for China, saying they "create a race to the bottom" among trading partners.
Johnson owns Oshkosh-based Pacur Inc., a plastics packaging manufacturer. He stressed the need for free trade agreements that are fair for Wisconsin workers and business owners, particularly in agriculture.
Johnson acknowledged that the agreements, as in all free-market capitalist systems, have created "winners and losers." But he noted that the U.S. still makes some 25 percent of the world's goods despite only having about 5 percent of its population. And he said that type of "creative destruction" is essential, saying, "If it weren't for that, we'd still have buggy whip companies."
USW District 2 Director Mike Bolton slammed Johnson for the comments.
"Johnson calls NAFTA a success and glibly refers to the horrendous job losses it caused as 'creative destruction.' He must not ever be considered a viable candidate to serve the people of Wisconsin," Bolton said.
USW Vice President Jon Geenen said, "We intend to tell Wisconsin's voters what they are getting in Ron Johnson, that is, a radical, right-wing conservative that is so far out of the mainstream and unsuitable to serve in any public office."
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