USW Seeks Explanation from Renacci for Contradictions on Trade

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 29, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that Ohio voters should hold Rep. Jim Renacci accountable for attempting to distance himself as a candidate for U.S. Senate from his record of supporting so-called "free" trade agreements throughout his congressional career.

Renacci repeatedly voiced support for expanding foreign trade while thousands of Ohio manufacturing workers, their families and communities were suffering the consequences of illegally dumped steel and steel products.

He voted in favor of agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama that shipped Ohio jobs overseas and twice voted to grant trade promotion authority to participate in negotiations for the Trans Pacific Partnership irrespective of the unfair trade practices that result in such weakly worded agreements.

USW District 1 Director David McCall said that union members will not be fooled by Renacci's transparent and half-hearted attempts to cash in on the Trump administration's steel and aluminum tariffs with Ohio voters.

"When Trump comes to town, candidate Renacci will say he supports the White House's trade agenda because he thinks that's what voters want to hear," McCall said. "The problem is that it directly contradicts Rep. Renacci's record of voting for every free trade agreement that crosses his desk without considering the repercussions of such agreements on Ohio workers."

"In Sherrod Brown, Ohioans already have a senator who has reliably fought to protect our jobs and taken the side of working families every time he's had the opportunity," McCall said. "Beginning with NAFTA, he has consistently voted against the unfair trade deals that devastated our industries and left our communities behind."

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information, visit http://www.usw.org.

More information, contact: Donnie Blatt ? (614) 888-6052 or [email protected]
Tony Montana ? (412) 562-2592 or [email protected]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)