September 10, 2019

By Joe Levine

PERU, Indiana – corporations that offshore good union jobs continue to receive billions of dollars in lucrative federal contracts.

Earlier this year, Schneider Electric, a massive French-based company with $2.5 billion in profit for 2018, announced plans to lay off more than 300 American workers at the Peru facility and close the plant by the end of 2019 – sending production to Mexico and other plants. The first round of layoffs occurred last month. The Trump administration has rewarded Schneider Electric for sending these jobs overseas with $121.5 million in federal contracts.

“When President Trump took office, he promised to be a workers’ champion. Since he’s been in office, countless workers across the Midwest have lost their jobs, and instead of standing up to the companies sending their jobs overseas, he’s rewarded them with billions in federal contracts,” said Frank Staples, a former Carrier worker from Indianapolis who will be supporting the Schneider workers. “Our taxpayer dollars should not be given out as thank you gifts to corporations decimating Midwestern communities by sending good union jobs overseas. We know Trump is a liar and corporate apologist. Now, we need to hear a clear commitment from Democratic presidential candidates that they won’t turn their back on the working people that are the lifeblood of our nation.”