Local union official blasts Romney on jobs, supports Obama plan

YOUNGSTOWN — The head of a local union today spoke about Mitt Romney’s record for outsourcing jobs and promoted President Barrack Obama’s re-election campaign.

Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential candidate, has a record of outsourcing jobs both in his private industry career and as governor, said Bill Padisak, Youngstown/Warren AFL-CIO president.

There have been 33,500 manufacturing jobs added in Ohio since Obama became president. The county needs a president committed to keeping jobs in the United States, he said.

“Ohio is a state that has been a victim of outsourcing jobs,” Padisak said.

The actions taken by the Obama administration to stop “illegal business practices” involving China directly led to the Mahoning Valley’s ability to attract the V&M Star steel facility, he said.

Massachusetts State Representative Chris Murphy spoke about how Romney as Massachusetts governor had outsourced the state’s call center jobs to India and vetoed a bill that would make it illegal to outsource state jobs.

Since Obama has taken office the economy has been growing slowly, said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern.

“He’s doing it the right way by investing in U.S. jobs,” he said.

Padisak, Redfern and Murphy spoke as part of a conference call to promote Obama’s new “Come and Go” ad.