Edwards Statement Regarding Waterloo Industries and Zapata Industries Closings In Muskogee

Friday, October 17, 2003
Edwards Statement Regarding Waterloo Industries and Zapata Industries Closings In Muskogee

Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator John Edwards (D-NC) today made the following statement in response to Waterloo Industries and Zapata Industries announcement that they will move their plants from Muskogee, costing eastern Oklahoma another 500 jobs. Zapata stopped operations on Wednesday and plans to move its production to Mexico. Waterloo will move its production to plants in Arkansas and Missouri:

"Today, we learned of the loss of an additional 500 Oklahoma manufacturing jobs. This is devastating news.

"Since George W. Bush took office, Oklahoma has lost more than 34,000 jobs and unemployment has gone from 3.0 percent to 5.4 percent. With each new plant closing, it is clear that this president does not know how to enforce fair trade laws or fix our economy. Oklahoma deserves better.

"A tidal wave of manufacturing imports is swamping American communities, causing plants to close and destroying American jobs—jobs that are the anchor of communities like Muskogee and Okmulgee and many others throughout Oklahoma. Their loss has a ripple effect that spreads far and wide, and we are in desperate need of forceful action to protect workers in this state and across the country from unfair competition from overseas.

"We must act immediately to protect U.S. manufacturers and workers against the current flood of imports from China and insist that currency manipulation end. The need for these actions grows stronger every day, and too much time has already been spent idle at the expense of America's workers."