Fwd: The Young Democrats of America Minority Caucus Statement on the Auto Industry Rescue Plan, Please distribute!
Isaac Robinson
From: shana...@aol.com
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:52:50 -0500
Subject: The Young Democrats of America Minority Caucus Statement on
the Auto Industry Rescue Plan, Please distribute!
To: michael...@youngdemsny.org, michael...@youngdemsny.org
Cc: isaacrob...@gmail.com, eric...@gmail.com,
shanay...@gmail.com, trinid...@yahoo.com,
kenrwhi...@gmail.com
The Young Democrats of America Minority Caucus Statement on the Auto
Industry Rescue Plan
?
This week, the CEOs of GM, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler came to
Washington D.C. to ask for federal assistance. Lost in the controversy
of CEOs flying in corporate jets and receiving outrageous salaries, is
the plight of the American automotive worker. Each day, millions of
hardworking Americans from different ethnicities and backgrounds
create and sell products that make our country great.? Opportunities
for people of color in the auto industry are tremendous. One of the
sources of pride for the car industry is its championing of diversity
and that is why the Young Democrats of America Minority Caucus
supports a strong rescue plan for the automobile industry.
?
Minority employment and entrepreneurship should be one of many
determining factors in deciding the outcome of the automobile
industry. As of 2004, African Americans represent 14.5% of the
automotive industry workforce. This percentage is higher than 13.4%,
the total percentage of African Americans living in the United States.
Latinos are 7.5% of automotive workers nationwide. This is a huge
increase from 1979, when Latinos represented only 2.9% of automotive
employees.?
?
Currently, the job outlook for African Americans and Latinos is bleak.
African Americans are already suffering from a high unemployment rate
of 11.1%. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8.8% of
Latinos are unemployed and that figure is up from 7.8%, the rate
reported at the end of the first quarter in 2008. We have to stem the
tide of unemployment in minority communities. Congress must approve a
rescue package to keep people working and in their homes. It is a fact
that the highest proportion of foreclosure rates in the country?are in
predominantly minority communities and one of?the primary reasons?why
minorities?have high?foreclosure rates?is unemployment.
?
Minority blue-collar workers are not the only people who will suffer
if our representatives do not pass a rescue package. According to the
National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD), Ford, GM,
and Chrysler account for 58% of all minority automobile dealerships.
Minority auto suppliers will also be left out in the cold if GM, Ford,
and Chrysler fail. In 2008, Hispanicbusiness.com ranked Chrysler in
its annual top ten lists for supplier diversity. Last year, Ford Motor
Company?spent 4.2 billion dollars for products sold by minority
suppliers and GM spent 3.1 billion dollars. If the federal government
denies Ford, GM, and Chrysler assistance, many minority suppliers will
go out of business and more workers will lose their jobs.
From the assembly worker to the dealer and the car parts supplier,
minorities in the automobile industry will suffer because of the
possible collapse of GM, Ford, and Chrysler.? Our country cannot lose
2.6 million more jobs; our Congressmen and Congresswomen must pass a
strong rescue plan and the President must sign it immediately.
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