Massa rips free trade deals
Elmira Star-Gazette, NY, USA
Massa rips free trade deals
9 August 2006
Congressional hopeful Eric Massa of Corning said Tuesday his opposition to "burn-down-the-barn free trade agreements" is the biggest difference between him and his opponent this fall, U.S. Rep. John R. Kuhl Jr., R-Hammondsport.
During a news conference at Wisner Park in Elmira, Massa said CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, is largely responsible for the recent closing of the Weyerhaeuser plant in Elmira Heights. He said much of that work, manufacturing corrugated packaging materials, was moved to Bolivia and Puerto Rico.
About 115 people worked at the Heights plant at the time of the closing.
Massa said jobs, health care and taxes form a "package problem" that needs to be addressed by state and federal governments working together.
Mike Wandell of Waverly, who was president of United Auto Workers Local 1337 at the Weyerhaeuser plant, attended the news conference and said he supports Massa because of the Democrat’s position on free trade. He criticized Kuhl and others in Congress for voting for CAFTA and NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"Those votes directly affected workers in this area," Wandell said.
