As President Gets Set to Release Rosy NAFTA Report ...

[MDOLAN <mdolan@citizen.org>]

  .......         Employees at Swingline Stapler Factory in New York
                       Seek Face-to-Face Meeting with President
               WASHINGTON, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Employees at Swingline
  Staplers in Long Island City, New York have sent a letter to President 
  Clinton urging him to visit their plant to "walk in our shoes and see first 
  hand the destruction NAFTA is causing working families."
  
  Company managers recently announced plans to close the factory, a landmark
  in Queens for more than 70 years.
  
  The appeal to Clinton comes as the administration prepares to release a
  rosy report on the first three years of the NAFTA trade deal.  The
  report is expected this week.
            
  "It took 70 years of hard work by thousands of dedicated employees
  to make Swingline the top stapler-maker in the world," the employees wrote.
  "It took NAFTA just three years to destroy it all."
  
  "Those of us who work here now, and the thousands who have come
  before us, have made a decent living that has given us hope of building a 
  better life for our children," the letter says.  "Now, that dream is gone."
            
  "What do I tell my 9-year-old boy when I don't have the money to provide 
  for him or send him to college?" asked Nancy Mobley DeWendt, a 19-year 
  plant employee.
        
  The letter points out that Swingline is a profitable company owned by 
  Fortune Brands, which also owns Titleist Golf: "Fortune's chief executive 
  officer made $3.6 million last year.  Titleist signed golfer Tiger Woods to 
  a $20 million endorsement deal.  That's equal to two years' worth of pay 
  for all 400 of us who are going to lose our jobs."
  
  The text of the letter dated July 8, 1997, and signed by William Kelly, 
  Materials Handler, 41 years at Swingline; Salvador and Juana Melendez,
  Production Leaders, 19 years each at Swingline; Nancy Mobley DeWendt,
  Production Leader, 19 years; and Alberto and Elsa Vega, Assemblers, 19
  and 31 years, follows:
            
  We are writing on behalf of our 400 fellow workers at Swingline
  Staplers to invite you to come to our plant in Long Island City, New York 
  to
  walk in our shoes and see first-hand the destruction NAFTA is causing
  working families like ours.  Two months ago our plant management told us 
  they are going to close the factory, which has been here for more than 70 
  years, and
  move our jobs to Mexico.  We believe this would not have happened if it
  wasn't for NAFTA.
            
  The average worker at our plant has been here for 19 years. Some have been 
  here for more than 40 years.  Those who work here now, and the thousands 
  who have come before us, have made a decent living that has given us hope 
  of building a better life for our children.  Now, that dream is gone.  Few 
  of us have any realistic hope of finding new jobs as good as these that pay 
  us $11 an hour with health insurance and pensions.
            
  Swingline Staplers is a very profitable company.  It is owned by Fortune 
  Brands, which also owns Titleist golf company.  Fortune's chief executive 
  officer made $3.6 million last year.  Titleist signed golfer Tiger Woods to 
  a
  $20 million endorsement deal.  That's equal to two years' worth of pay for 
  all
  400 of us who are going to lose our jobs.
  
  It took 70 years of hard work by thousands of dedicated employees to make 
  Swingline the top stapler-maker in the world.  It took NAFTA just three
  years to destroy it all.
            
  We hope to hear from you.
  ***** NOTES from MDOLAN (MDOLAN @ CITIZEN) at 7/08/97 6:49 PM
  
  
  ****************************************************************************
   /s/ Mike Dolan, Field Director, Global Trade Watch, Public Citizen
  
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