FTC: Made In The USA Comments Concerning William L. Clay--P894219 HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. June 30 , 1997 Congressional Liaison The attached communication is submitted for your consideration, and to ask that the request made therein be complied with, possible. If you will advise me of your action in this matter and have the letter returned to me with your reply, I will appreciate it. Very Truly yours, William L. Clay MO Ist District Hotel Tim Luebbert June 11, 1997 Hon. Bill Clay Dear Congressman: I am writing on behalf of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 74 to express my opposition to the FTC's proposed changes to the "Made in America" standard. I represent 2,000 hard-working Missourians who would be affected by this change. It really is time for our elected representative's to draw a line on things that adversely affect American workers and this proposed change does just that. By changing the standard for use of the "Made in America” label to include those items "last substantially transformed in the U.S.,"" the FTC would allow companies to have nearly all work except assembly done by foreign workers and still stamp the lucrative label on their goods. This is patently unfair and a perversion of what "Made in the USA" is supposed to mean. I am asking you to take action to stop this proposed change. Sincerely, Tim LuebbertTim Luebbert UNITED PAPERWORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION BOYD YOUNG June 23, 1997 U.S. House of Representatives Dear Representative: On behalf of the more than 250,000 members of the United Paperworkers International Union, I am writing to urge your support for House Concurrent Resolution 80. This bipartisan resolution seeks to protect American workers and consumers by calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to refrain from its proposal to lower the standards for the "Made in USA" label. Under the FTC's proposal, goods with a high percentage of foreign components—in some cases, goods composed of all foreign materials and components—would be allowed to bear the "Made in USA" label. If the FTC has its way, jobs which now belong to hard-working Americans, including our union brothers and sisters, will be moved overseas as manufacturers take advantage of cheap foreign labor while still enjoying the distinction of the "Made in USA” label. Not only will the FTC's proposal mean lost jobs, it will deceive our members and other consumers who believe the "Made in USA" label means what it says and rely on the symbol as a useful piece of information in their purchasing decisions. For many of us, the "Made in USA" label can be the deciding factor in whether we select one product over another. For years, union men and women have worked hard to uphold the pride and traditions of quality designated by the "Made in USA" label. Under the FTC's water-downed guidelines, this pride and tradition quickly would be replaced by confusion, deception and the loss of U.S. jobs. Please join us and millions of other Americans who refuse to let American jobs be compromised by this reckless FTC proposal. We ask you to join in co-sponsoring H.Con.Res. 80 to help us send the message to the FTC and the nation that a "Made in USA" label must mean what it says. Please contact Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) or Congressman Bob Franks (R-NJ) to add your support to H.Con.Res. 80. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely Boyd YoungBoyd Young INTERNATIONAL
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