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IAM President Says Workers See a Different Picture Than President Bush WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- After suffering staggering job losses in the manufacturing sector, IAM-represented workers see a much different picture than the rosy outlook President Bush tried to paint in his message to Congress. "President Bush said that an artist could use statistics to paint two different pictures of our country. He was right to point out the 'warning signs: increasing lay offs, rising energy prices, too many failing schools, persistent poverty, the stubborn vestiges of racism,'" said R. Thomas Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. "But I would add a few more: the decline of America's industrial base, the recession in the manufacturing sector, the shortage of technical training opportunities, the rising number of work-related injuries. Losing your job or being injured at work isn't just a statistic that you can brush aside, it's a devastating fact of life for too many working men and women today," added Buffenbarger. "The rosy scenarios that President Bush sees lead to remedies and reactions that are just plain wrong. We need a tax cut aimed at working families that puts real dollars in their pockets, not pocket change. We need to protect Social Security, not toss it to the vultures on Wall Street. We need to save North American jobs, not speed their transfer to China or South America," declared Buffenbarger. "It's easy to see a rosy view of the world if your view is the Rose Garden. But, if you have to stare at a drill press all day, then reality sinks in," Buffenbarger said. "North American workers aren't statistics. They are losing their jobs and many of those jobs aren't coming back. We need tax cuts and government programs that help people who need it most -- working families that are struggling to make ends meet." The IAM is the second largest industrial union in North America, representing more than 730,000 active and retired members in the U.S. and Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Panama Canal Zone. Heavily concentrated in the Manufacturing, Aerospace, Shipbuilding and Airline industries, the IAM maintains one or more agreements with almost every major employer in North America. More information about the IAM is available at http://www.iamaw.org
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