Union PAC blasts Rauner for outsourcing
Thursday, Aug 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
Today Illinois Freedom PAC released a new video highlighting billionaire gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner’s record of outsourcing American jobs. The video comes as Rauner faces criticism for stashing some of his vast fortune in a foreign tax haven and as an executive of a Rauner-created business faces criminal charges for wire fraud committed via a subsidiary in Bermuda.
The video features TV clips and other footage from a July protest of Rauner held at site of an abandoned wire plant in Rockford, which saw some of its production move to Mexico in 2002. Rockford is a community not unlike many others throughout Illinois and the nation, which has fallen victim to CEOs who outsource jobs.
Tom Gaulrapp - who found himself out of work in late 2012 when Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital outsourced his and 169 of his co-workers’ jobs to China and closed the Sensata Technologies plant in nearby Freeport - sums up the sentiment of the day in one particular clip.
“This is about keeping one of these vulture capitalists who thinks it’s a good idea to pack up our jobs and move them somewhere else, to keep him from being in the governorship of Illinois,” Gaulrapp tells local reporters.
* From the union’s website…
H-Cube
Rauner was a director at H-Cube, a self-described “premier global business outsourcing firm.” In 2006, 4,000 of its financial service jobs were located in India.
Polymer Group
Rauner was a director at the Polymer Group, a company which produces feminine hygiene products, wipes, medical fabrics, and industrial material. The Polymer Group increased its profits by $13.4 million in 1995 by expanding its operations in Mexico after NAFTA.
VeriFone
Rauner’s company financed VeriFone, a maker of retail credit card terminals. In late 2001, 100% of its manufacturing workforce was outsourced to China, Mexico, Singapore, and Brazil. Rauner’s company made $800 million from VeriFone in just three years and Rauner called it his “biggest financial winner.”
ERO Inc.
Rauner was a director at ERO Inc., a company that produces slumber bags and flotation devices. In 1997, Ero contracted with manufacturers in China, Taiwan, Italy, and Indonesia..
* The union’s new YouTube video…
- Roadiepig - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 8:43 am:
This is the right tactic to make people aware of who Mr. Rauner really is - more like this please.
- Nonplussed - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 8:54 am:
Interesting that almost all the stories we read about credit card reader getting hacked (Barnes and Noble, Safeway) involve Verifone equipment now made overseas. Hmmmm.
- dog days - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 8:55 am:
@ Roadiepig
Yep.
- foster brooks - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 8:57 am:
You can add how he pays NO social security/medicare tax too.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:01 am:
Outsourcing stings in American politics. There’s a reason why politicians don’t drive Mercedes (if anyone’s looking).
- Jimmy Baseball - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:03 am:
I think the messaging is decent, but is there any real benefit to these online videos? The number of views is usually so low I just don’t see the point.
- OneMan - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:04 am:
Not bad, again without it being a commercial not sure how effective it is. Think they would want to use a bigger crowd.
Also 2002 is a long time ago…
- Thunder Fred - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:04 am:
Anyone who sits through more than :20 of that video is already on board. No one else is really interested in being screamed at over and over and over with the same taking points. Great for ginning up the base but not so much at moving the needle.
- PublicServant - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:07 am:
If you don’t think we’ll see the concepts introduced here as a commercial, you’re goofy. As for 2002, Rauner had plenty of time to flip-flop on outsourcing. If he has, I haven’t seen it. It’s his M.O.
- DuPage - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:08 am:
Why does it not surprise me?
- Chi - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:09 am:
What Roadiepig said. This is the messaging that beats Rauner. Shorten it up and put it on the air. Be sure to include the quote ~”Rauner says he wants to create jobs in Illinois. We had jobs in Illinois until he moved them.”
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:10 am:
Outsourcing is a good issue for discussion. Families have felt this type of business decision, or can point to someone they know who has.
Part of a bigger narrative.
- PublicServant - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:10 am:
And when he shows up at the fair on his Harley, just remember that it would have been made in China now, if he had owned the company.
- Tough Guy - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:26 am:
Welcome to Mr. Rauner’s Illinois. He probably figures most Illinoians want to move out of Illinois anyway according to recent surveys
- Norseman - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:29 am:
Someone point me to the research that says YouTube videos are an effective campaign tactic. Until I’m educated as to the efficacy of these spots I’ll maintain that they’re a waste of resources.
Cut it down and put it on TV instead of the stupid Rauner loves Illinois spot.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 9:30 am:
It’s amazing that a Union’s youtube video can be better than any of the governor’s Tv ads….
- RNUG - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 10:02 am:
re youtube videos …
It’s a cheap way to test a message. If it gets a good response, then you spend the money to go up with TV ads.
- A guy... - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 10:06 am:
Clearly there is a captured audience here. And this will resonate with them. It’s fair to say some wage considerations pushed these jobs overseas, especially in manufacturing. We haven’t been competitive in manufacturing production for years. Is bringing products to the American middle class at a lower cost less patriotic?
Japan under priced the USA, Korea did it to Japan, Indonesia did it to Korea, and now India and China are in a battle royale to win the lowest cost of manufacturing war.
This was always inevitable and the USA has always kept up by being more innovative, more inventive and more entrepreneurial. We’ve seen the railing against NAFTA, which was strongly supported by Democrats too to maintain competition with the European Union.
This commercial falls flat for me, but I can see how it would ring bells with union members. We want things at the lowest price. That means outsourcing. Part of solving immigration issues means providing living wages in Mexico too. If being patriotic means going out of business, the net result is really the same; job elimination. We need to train folks for the newest and most employable industries and continue that training beyond school years. That’s how we win.
- PublicServant - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 10:23 am:
===Is bringing products to the American middle class at a lower cost less patriotic?===
Yes, if it results, as it is, in the destruction of the large swaths of the U.S. middle class, who can’t afford to buy those foreign-made, foreign job creating products at any price.
Please tell us what these newest and most employable industries are, a guy. And more importantly what kind of numbers are we talking about here. And while you’re at providing actual figures, shoot me the starting wage for these jobs too, pal. Thanks in advance.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 10:24 am:
@a guy:
A captured audience?
You do realize that there are something on the order of 1 million active or retired union members in Illinois, right?
Not to mention entire communities across the state that are crumbling in on themselves as jobs have either been outsourced overseas or sourced to robots and computers?
- A guy... - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 11:11 am:
P Servant, do your own research. Your posts constantly drip with nothing but “we can’t do it, I’m a victim”. Improve them and we’ll chat.
Y Dog, of course I see that manufacturing towns have been hit hard and it has often been devastating. Part of our culture in America is that we often insist on learning the hard way. Our Auto makers absolutely ignored the energy crisis and price gouging on fuel until they literally gave up a huge percentage of our car sales to foreign imports who “got it” a full generation before we did. Rarely did manufacturing towns go belly up overnight. It started with Attrition, then layoffs, downsizing more and ultimately closure. I don’t know your situation in life, but I’ve encouraged and paid (a lot) for my children to be educated in emerging markets and jobs of the future. Learn foreign languages, become tech savvy, constantly work on communication skills, etc. Walmart killed small downtowns because union and non-union families alike pined to save a buck on everything they could. I’ve tried desperately to buy American cars. Often, they’re less American than import name plates.
Many of our foreign competitors understand our consumer trends better than we do. We want to push the market, they’re willing to pull it. I don’t hate unions. I do feel many workers have been betrayed by their management who are every bit as greedy as any capitalist. I’d be very upset if someone spent my dues the way some of these guys do.
Unions are important, even vital. They provide a counter balance to extreme greed in ownership and management. However the reverse is true too. Neither side (ironic how it compares to political parties) can be trusted not to wallow in greed for the few at the top. We’re in a cycle where unions need to make themselves more relevant to their membership. Like those giant cars with expensive gas at the pumps, it’s time to get a message and use American spirit and ingenuity to overcome our challenges.
Might be hard to believe, but I’m rooting for unions to get better. That’s the only way they’ll get stronger.
Respectfully dude, a guy.
- PublicServant - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 12:06 pm:
As usual, A Guy, your posts are fact free and full of what you “know” is true without any backup. You’re a one man fact-free, rhetoric-full zone. The American Middle Class is the victim. We agree on that at least. But your “Blame the victim” post above, does nothing to advance the outsourcing cause. Saying that new and employable industries are there if ONLY the middle class would obtain the training to be eligible for, is a total fabrication.
- A guy... - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
“Saying that new and employable industries are there if ONLY the middle class would obtain the training to be eligible for, is a total fabrication.”
Um, you quoted me right here and came to precisely the wrong conclusion. I had to repost it to grasp the foolishness of what you said. It’s still amazing.
- Proud - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 12:35 pm:
A guy you are right on target. P Servant I have told my kids that if they think anybody-company, country, etc owes them success in life or a comfortable living just because, they are in for a real rude awakening. They need to study hard and compete in TODAYS WORLD. Any failure to do so is there responsibility. That is the same thing my Middle class parents taught me!
- Both Sides Now - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 12:46 pm:
I agree wholeheartedly with Chi. Message is good, resonates with lots of folks Union and Non. Get it on the Air!
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 1:25 pm:
A perfectly fair line of attack.
- ChinaTown - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 1:25 pm:
This is really good content and very sharp messaging. Pack it into a :30 and get it on the air.
Also, a nice compliment/followup to the Caymens stuff on the “not one of us” or “not on our side”-type narrative they need to build.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 1:46 pm:
In my opinion, these are the only attacks that can work against Rauner. Right or wrong people will react to this.