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Workers in Four Big States Say 'Jobs Crisis' Far From Over
WASHINGTON -- Four years of non-stop job losses cannot be erased by fractional changes in the unemployment rate, according to a new pollĀ by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The survey, conducted for the IAM by Fingerhut & Associates, also identifies issues that could decide the upcoming presidential election in the states of Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Washington."A tick up or down in the unemployment rate misses the point," says IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger, whose union lost 90,000 members since 2000. "The fear of job loss runs deep among the workers surveyed in this poll. For millions of middle class Americans, both in and out of work, the nation's employment crisis is far from over."More than 25% of the workers surveyed reported a job loss in their immediate family during the past two years," Buffenbarger continues. "In Washington, 25% of those reporting job losses in their immediate family said that person was not back at work. In Ohio, the figure was 36%. In Illinois, it was 41%. And in Wisconsin, the figure was 45%. And this comes two years after the government claimed the recession ended."The survey also reveals dramatic political potential for the candidate or party willing to give more than lip service to America's blue-collar concerns. Every job creation idea tested in the survey, from tax incentives to keep jobs in the U.S. to new investments in high tech industries, drew strong support from four-fifths of the respondents. Additionally, seven out of 10 voters polled said they would be willing to forgo current or future tax cuts for programs to create or protect U.S. jobs.Despite the traditional alliance between blue-collar workers and Democratic candidates, the survey found a huge reservoir of potential votes for whichever candidate will act decisively on their behalf. "The blue collar vote in these four core states is still up for grabs," says Buffenbarger. "The candidate who ultimately connects with these workers could ride that support all the way to the White House. The candidate who ignores them will do so at his own expense."The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers represents nearly 700,000 active and retired members and administers more than 4,500 contracts in transportation, woodworking, aerospace, manufacturing and defense related industries.Visit the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers: www.goiam.org"