Chapter 1 : Union-Made in America AFL-CIO Union Made in the USA, American-Made Union Goods - Hard to find union made clothing? No problem. Health Related Products. Firefighter Bags. Todd's Made in USA. Decades ago, many or even most products on store shelves were American-made. But since the late s, American manufacturing has seen a steady decline. However, there are some signs this trend is starting to reverse itself. An earlier report from uncovered child labor at a factory in Bangladesh that produced clothing sold by Walmart and JCPenney. Some posed a choking hazard, while others contained dangerous chemicals like lead paint and kerosene, according to The New York Times. Its benefits also ripple out through the entire economy. The EPI estimates that every U. Adding to the confusion is the fact that most products that are legitimately American-made are not actually required to say so. The only exceptions are automobiles, textiles, and other items made of wool. United States Customs and Border Protection requires that all imported goods must be clearly marked to show where they come from. In, it contained just seven models â the first time it had ever dropped below ten. Those seven cars are: The non-hybrid Camry is also a well-reviewed car, earning an A grade from Edmunds. The average price paid for this car, according to Edmunds. Assembled in Princeton, Indiana, this minivan employs an estimated 1, U. The Odyssey receives an A at Edmunds. Production of this model supports approximately 1, workers in Lansing. The only sports car on the list, the Chevy Corvette is assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where it provides jobs for to workers. Its ratings are fairly unimpressive, as well â while Edmunds. However, owners are more positive about the version, giving it 4. Only half the cars on the American Made Index are actually made by U. Another good source to consult is Consumer Reports. Anyone can view the list, but you need a paid subscription to the website to view detailed ratings for each product. According to Consumer Reports, Whirlpool is the largest appliance manufacturer in the world. Recommended Maytag products include two fridges, two ranges, two wall ovens, two washing machines, and one freezer. However, it still operates five plants in the United States, including one in Tennessee that opened in KitchenAid is another brand owned by Whirlpool. Four of these earn recommendations from Consumer Reports. Bosch also owns Thermador, which makes professional-style ranges in Campbell County, Tennessee. However, none of these make the Consumer Reports list. Another company assembling computers in the U. However, TechRadar reports that four months after Lenovo bought the company in, this plant closed down. This allows them to respond more quickly to changes in demand, so they are always making what people are most eager to buy. Furniture made in the U. However, American-made furniture is typically of higher quality as well. Pieces come in a variety of styles, including traditional, contemporary, mission, and Shaker. The site also offers foam-stuffed footstools, dog beds, and large floor pillows. Made in the U. The company also offers solid wood futon frames and other wood furniture for the bedroom and office. Clothing American Apparel, photo by Joshua Rainey Photography Clothing poses one of the biggest challenges for shoppers who want to buy American. Forbes magazine reported in that these days, even luxury brands are having most of their clothes sewn in China. One particularly well-known company that makes all its clothing in the U. You can find U. Shoes If clothes made in the U. You also need to be prepared to pay extra. Like American-made furniture, American-made shoes tend to be both pricier and higher-quality than the cheap styles found in the average big-box store. Most styles are made from genuine leather, and many are sewn by hand. You can also check stores for specific, American-made brands, such as: Red Wing Shoes offers a range of sturdy leather boots and shoes for both men and women. Of the styles it offers, 67 are made entirely in the United States, another 47 are made in the U. The company makes shoes for boys, girls, and infants, in sizes up to an adult size 3, including casual shoes, dress shoes, and sandals. Do you prefer to buy products made in the United States? Page 1
Chapter 2 : Union Made in the USA, American-Made Union Goods There is a great way to show your support for your local unions by buying union made promotional products. Union made promotional items are a great giveaways to your customers, fellow union members, and at tradeshows. Send this info to a friend To: Check this box if you wish to have a copy mailed to you. See our privacy policy. February Puzzling labels Laws allow for patriotic symbols, as long as makers identify where a product was made. Given a choice between a product made in the U. More than 80 percent of those people cited retaining manufacturing jobs and keeping American manufacturing strong in the global economy as very important reasons for buying American. About 60 percent cited concern about the use of child workers or other cheap labor overseas, or stated that American-made goods were of higher quality. And people would pay extra to buy American. According to a new survey of consumers in the U. Clearly, most Americans want to know where products are made and want to buy those that will help create or keep jobs in the U. A guessing game Photo: Tooga Few products except cars, textiles, furs, and woolens are required by law to reveal their American heritage. But when any manufacturer chooses to boast of an American connection, it must comply with federal rules designed to keep consumers from being misled. Our evidence shows that if not misled, consumers are at least confused. But the line is blurry. Every case is different and subject to interpretation, Koss says. Most of the complaints the FTC receives are initiated by companies that are pointing a finger at competitors they claim are seeking an unfair advantage. If a company refuses, it faces civil penaltiesâ in theory. Stanley claimed that the ratchets were made in America, but the FTC noted that much of their content was foreign. Companies must be able to document any claim. Qualified claims, the main cause of confusion, come in many forms, but each must tell the whole story. Take the new ipad Mini. The FTC requires companies to post prominent, unambiguous statements such as the actual country of origin to leave an accurate impression. Readers who have sent us complaints seem most irritated by foreign-made products whose makers have patriotic names American Mills, Americana Olives, Great American Seafood, United States Sweaters, the U. Another type of labeling law, enforced by U. Customs and Border Protection with an assist from the Department of Agriculture, requires imported goods to bear a country-of-origin label when they enter the U. Large retailers must use signs, labels, or stickers to identify the birthplace of covered commodities most meat, fish, fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, and some nuts. Under the law, that side trip must be noted. If you want to buy American products, these tips should help: Read labels carefully, using the info above. Consult websites that name companies making products in the U. Contact a manufacturer directly. Check our listing of some of the companies still manufacturing in America. Manufacturer According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, American manufacturing lost almost 6 million jobs between and A decade of BLS data reveals heavy job losses across more than a dozen manufacturing sectors, including apparel and textiles, electrical equipment, iron and steel production, computers, glass, and leather tanning and finishing. Why are foreign nations so appealing to manufacturers? Simple economics, for starters. In, compensation costs wages and benefits for manufacturing jobs in the U. Another manufacturing powerhouse, India, has even lower hourly compensation costs than China. But depending on the manufacturing sector, labor may account for only a small fraction of operating costs. Stihl chain saw Photo: Stihl The appeal of foreign countries may wane, Sirkin says. When you consider all the factors, the true cost to manufacture goods from China will be only about 10 percent cheaper than to make them domestically in another few years. By, the Boston Consulting Group predicts, cost advantages in electricity, natural gas, and labor over Japan and several European countries in a range of industries will give U. As a result, the group says, the U. The problem is that we started to accelerate the opening of U. For 30 years leaders have said we need to train and upgrade the skills of American workers, but it needs to be done before signing these trade agreements, not after the fact. In fact, Sirkin says, the U. The chemical and plastics industries are thriving, thanks to declining natural gas prices, and foreign automakers including BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, and Volkswagen have opened plants in the U. Some companies are bucking the outsourcing trend even in industries that have largely fled the U. In, Michigan-based Whirlpool manufactured most of its front-loading washers in Germany. Of the Page 2
products Whirlpool sells in the U. And it continues to ramp up production of front-loaders in Ohio, where it already makes dryers, dishwashers, freezers, and top-loaders. And more than half of respondents perceived such appliances as having much or somewhat better quality than those made abroad. Pendleton Portland Collection blanket Electronics. The domestic industry has been scorched by job losses because of plentiful and cheap labor overseas. More than 90 percent of clothes and shoes sold in America are made elsewhere, according to Jack Plunkett of Houston-based Plunkett Research. Still, the industry is gaining traction in the U. And some primarily American companies may have manufacturing facilities in more than one country to meet demand overseas. Page 3
Chapter 3 : Made in America - Consumer Reports American manufacturer Royal Apparel produces union-made clothing in "sweatshop free" conditions in New York. We are a full-service apparel manufacturer and sell products retail to individual customers and offer businesses the options of wholesale pricing rates, bulk purchases, sales of blanks, and custom production runs as well. Send this info to a friend To: Check this box if you wish to have a copy mailed to you. See our privacy policy. May 21, Almost 8 in 10 American consumers say they would rather buy an American-made product than an imported one, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey. For some, the decision might stem from a belief in American quality and safety. Get more details from our nationally representative survey by clicking on the image a right. Some iconic American products, from the Apple iphone to Cuisinart food processors, have little or no manufacturing presence on these shores, while many foreign makers have invested heavily in manufacturing plants in the U. The auto industry has long grappled with what it means to be made in America. Since, about companies have returned here, according to the Reshoring Initiative, an industry-supported not-for-profit that focuses on bringing manufacturing jobs back. And yet the perception persists that American manufacturing is in decline. But the Department of Commerce reports that between and the end of, U. Two reasons cited for a resurgence of American manufacturing in recent years are newly cheap energy and the narrowing gap in labor costs between the U. A third factor is increased investment in research and development. In certain industries, such as software, American companies are so dominant that other countries are enacting legislation to encourage development of their own products in order to lessen their reliance on U. In an effort to capture the wide range of voices on this nuanced topic, we asked 13 leaders to weigh in. All or almost all of a product bearing the label must be of U. For example, many Kenmore appliances are produced in the U. It must be in a conspicuous place where it can be seen with casual handling, so you should be able to find it easily while shopping in a store. With refrigerators, for example, the country of origin is on the manufacturing sticker usually found on an interior wall. With gas grills, the sticker can be found on the back of the metal frame or cart. If you come across a claim that seems bogus, file a complaint at ftc. Just how American are these iconic brands? Chapter 4 : ULSTD America is at its best when we say and shop union YES! How Americans Can Buy American is an invaluable guide to help patriotic consumers buy products made in American factories by American workers and keep profits and jobs within our sovereign borders. Chapter 5 : Made in USA and Union Made T-Shirts time was, buying quality american merchandise was simple. Most things sold in America were produced here, by Americans, for Americans (and for a lot of the rest of the world, too). American workers took great pride in their products, and Yankee ingenuity ensured American quality was the gold standard. Chapter 6 : Here are + brands that are % made in the USA Clark Howard That's why buying "Made in America" products is an important act of solidarity that promotes good jobs in the United States. Every year we update shopping lists and suggested products around holidays and other major events that are made in America and union-made. Chapter 7 : Products Made in the USA - Reasons to Buy American-Made Goods Click on this chart here for the model numbers for union-made General Electric washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, along with other home appliances. Buy union-made sporting goods. Click on Labor 's directory of athletic Page 4
equipment here. Chapter 8 : Products Made in America - Consumer Reports Magazine American Products is a leading supplier and producer of Union and American made blog.quintoapp.com our in house capabilities for embroidery, pad printing and fulfillment we can provide a quick turnaround for all promotional product needs. Chapter 9 : Union Made Union Plus Browse to find out what products, services, entertainment, travel - are union. These lists are built from sites of our sister unions. Some have great lists, some do not. Page 5