Tom Buffenbarger, an independent labor voice, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about recent forced labor issues from China. Buffenbarger also talked about subsidies given to bring large companies to rural areas and the impact Boeing has made in South Carolina.
The recent findings by the U.S. government linking Chinese company Temu to forced labor practices have reignited talks of overseas labor issues. Many companies have yet to move away from the concept of forced labor increasing profit margins, Buffenbarger said. Despite legislation, many loopholes remain for companies to avoid punishment for goods made with forced labor. Until the U.S. can begin following through with punishments, American labor will continue to struggle as production is continuously moved overseas, he added.
Many cities and states use subsidies to lure major corporations to their region in hopes they will bring with them a need for workers. Many of these companies haven’t followed through with their half of the agreements though. The cities and states that try lure big companies to their area have been left struggling, Buffenbarger said. A study by Good Jobs First analyzed the deals that lure businesses to select specific regions. It found that the biggest recipient of these types of subsidies is Boeing.
Boeing received most of these subsidies over the last few years for their plant in South Carolina. Originally expected to bring many jobs to the area, Boeing claimed they needed more quality workers and began bringing in workers from out-of-state, Buffenbarger said. The result has been South Carolina’s education system and workforce is in shambles due to lost tax revenue, and they have a lot of work in front of them to get things right, he said.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.