Local AFL-CIO official supports Obama’s run

Staff report

youngstown

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

Mitt Romney, the Republican 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 country needs a president committed to keeping jobs in the U.S., 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 facility in Youngstown, he said.

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

Since Obama has taken office, the economy has been growing slowly, said Chris Redfern, chairman of Ohio’s Democratic Party.

“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.