The Stories Project: Oregon Livelihoods Traded Away

Stacy Breunig Residence: Gresham, OR Age: 37 Occupation: Boeing Company, quality insurance inspector Affiliations: Machinists IAM Local Lodge 63, President; Chief Shop Steward

Snapshots "Outsourcing has been very detrimental to union jobs within the Boeing Company and there's a ripple effect of 4-6 more jobs for every one of our jobs that are lost." "That's what corporate America as a whole, not just exclusive to Boeing, seems to be looking for. Cheaper, faster, not necessarily better quality -- just what's going to be cheapest and what's going to please the stockholders." "I don't break it down along party lines. Look at Sen. Wyden. He's a free trader. I can go in there and say, 'Look, I work for Boeing and I'm telling you this is hurting jobs of your constituents in the Portland Metro area and We Vote For You. And they'll still go out and vote for something for Singapore.'" "Maybe they need to spend a little more time actually on the streets talking to people in their area and talk to more than those of us who get to go back to DC and talk to them in their offices and say 'Hey, here's the story of someone who lost their job, they lost the home, they lost their car, or here's stories of folks who the only jobs they can get are can only get Wal-Mart jobs. They can't afford to buy a home. They're not contributing to the tax base.'" "So what are they doing to the middle class of America? They are slowly but surely shrinking and enabling the shrinkage of the middle class of America. [Free trade] doesn't bring the standards of these other countries up. It's just cheaper labor and you see CEOs getting these huge bonuses."

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