Edwards sympathizes with Carrier employees
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Edwards met with Carrier employees inside Prater’s BBQ before addressing a crowd gathered outside the restaurant.
“There are people who have worked at Carrier, and couples who have worked there, all their lives,” said Edwards. “These are people who struggle every day, who have made America what it is today. These are the people who are the reason I’m running for president of the United States.”
Edwards was born in South Carolina and grew up in Robbins, N.C., where his father worked in textile mills for 36 years. It’s for that reason Edwards says he knows how Carrier employees feel because his family experienced the same predicament when the textile industry shut down plants in North Carolina.
“The president we have doesn’t understand what the American people are going through,” said Edwards, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998. “If George Bush and others who support free trade think everything is fine, then all they have to do is come here and talk to the 1,300 people who just learned the plant is going to shut down.
“I will change our trade policy so we never again encourage companies to fire American workers and hire foreign workers for pennies. I will change our tax policies so we never again give a company tax deductions for shutting down here and moving overseas.”
“The American people understand that protecting America also means protecting American jobs,” Edwards continued. “You have my commitment I will do everything possible to protect your jobs.”
Edwards’ message was well received by a number of Carrier workers.
“He cares about our people and his upbringing is very similar to ours,” said James Mears, a 32-year Carrier employee. “Corporate America today is all about greed and fat stockholders padding their pocketbooks. They don’t know anything about the people.”
Mears says his job at Carrier has helped him provide for three children and three grandchildren.
Larry Simons, a 27-year Carrier employee, echoed similar sentiments. He has a 14-year-old daughter about the enter high school and a son who enlisted in the military.
“He joined the Army because there are no jobs in Warren County,” said Simons. “Mr. Edwards seems to be a down-to-earth man. He knows about the working-class people.”
Simons said he has been through this situation before. His wife was working at Findlay when that factory shut down.
“My family has lost all its income to other countries,” said Simons.
Even with Carrier’s announced closing, union officials have yet to relinquish hope. They remain optimistic something can be done to reverse the decision.
“We haven’t given up,” said union representative Danny Neubert. “We’ve drawn up a proposal to try and save this plant. These guys couldn’t sleep at night if we didn’t do something.”
Neubert said he wished Carrier had openly discussed the possibility of closing the plant with the union before announcing its decision to leave.
“The sad part is the company never approached us,” said Neubert. “We had asked them for years if something needed to be done to tell us, but they never did.”