Deborah Continues Putting People First With A Plan To Protect North Carolina Workers From Bad Trade Deals

Press Release

Today, Deborah announced a new plan to double assistance to North Carolina workers hurt by bad trade deals. The proposal builds on her "Putting People First" jobs initiative that would invest in growing North Carolina's economy by ending tax breaks for outsourcers and providing tax incentives to encourage companies to create jobs here at home. It would also invest in training and skills for the workforce, raising the minimum wage, and ensuring equal pay for equal work.

"As I've crisscrossed the state from Murphy to Manteo, I've talked with hard-working people who had good jobs, jobs they took pride in. They were tough jobs, but they paid the bills and put food on the table. But then those jobs got shipped overseas or downsized," said Deborah Ross, Democratic nominee for US Senate. "Typical Washington politicians like Richard Burr have made things worse by putting themselves and their special interest friends ahead of workers. It's time for a change--and I'm proud to be announcing steps today that would help workers get back on their feet and succeed in the 21st century economy."

Deborah's proposals build on her experience working across party lines to pass commonsense tax incentives and investments to bring businesses home to North Carolina.

While Deborah will work to support workers in the changing economy, Richard Burr has pushed policies that work for him and the special interests, but not North Carolina. He voted to raise his own pay but against a higher minimum wage for workers. He was one of only three Senators to vote against a ban on insider trading by members of Congress while pushing a bill that would benefit his own stock portfolio. Richard Burr even voted five times to protect tax breaks for corporations that shipped jobs overseas, and accepted significant campaign contributions from the very companies that shipped jobs away.

Burr supported nine different trade agreements that hurt North Carolina workers, and voted against extending Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits, which helps retrain workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing, and supported a measure which would have repealed the program and rolled it into a block grant. He also voted to eliminate a program that provided North Carolina more than $60 million for education and job training for workers whose jobs had been displaced.

Deborah's Plan: Investing in Workers and 21st Century Skills

I oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) because it doesn't put North Carolina families and workers first, but TPP is just the latest in a long line of trade deals that have hurt our state's manufacturing sector and sent good-paying jobs overseas. North Carolina has lost thousands of jobs that used to be the lifeblood of our state.

In addition to rewriting the rules of trade, we must prepare every single worker with the skills they need to succeed in the global economy. We need more good-paying jobs that are enough to support a family, put food on the table, help kids pay for college, and save for a secure retirement. Too many workers are working harder, but still living paycheck to paycheck.

As your Senator, I will fight to end trade policies that put corporate special interests above the interests of North Carolina workers and families.

· Double Trade Adjustment Assistance: Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) was created decades ago when the United States was actually running a trade surplus. Since then, too many workers have been left out and left behind by trade deals that ship their jobs overseas. TAA must be strengthened and expanded to keep pace with economic loss from trade. Since the 1970s, more than two million workers have benefited from TAA, but there is more we can do so that this program reaches more workers and families. From career counseling and free retraining, to relocation assistance and affordable health care options, TAA has been a critical tool in helping workers get back on their feet. By one estimate, American workers have taken a $50 billion hit a year from globalization and trade, but TAA is only set to help these same workers by $450 million per year over the next decade. That is why I support expanding eligibility for TAA to help more workers hit by globalization, and doubling the funding dedicated to these critical programs over the next decade.

· Community college and higher education: As a representative in the State House, I worked across the aisle to help families save for their children's tuition, and pushed for legislation to help more of North Carolina's young people get their degrees. I'm going to continue to fight for those priorities. I support incentives to help states restart their investments in higher education and help families and students cover what they cannot afford. We should expand Pell Grants, help students refinance their student loans at lower rates, and provide two years of free community college for students with good grades.

· Apprenticeships and mastering a trade: The United States has had a system of registered apprenticeship programs since the 1930s, but compared to the rest of the world, our system is vastly underutilized. Our global competitors--such as Germany--have considered apprenticeship a key bridge for young people mastering a trade. This earn-as-you-learn model can boost lifetime earnings for apprenticeships up to $300,000, combining classroom-based instruction at local community or technical colleges with practical, on-site instruction. That is why I support following the lead South Carolina has taken, by recognizing the value this potential pipeline of skilled workers creates and supporting federal tax credits for businesses that hire apprentices.

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