Exclusive Live From 'Bainport': Illinois Workers Urge Romney to Not Outsource Their Jobs to China

Democracy Now! broadcasts an exclusive report from just outside a Bain Capital-owned plant in Freeport, Illinois, where workers at Sensata Technologies have set up an encampment called "Bainport" across the street to protest the company's plan to close the plant and move it to China, taking 170 jobs with it.

The workers are campaigning for Mitt Romney, Bain co-founder, to save their jobs. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman interviews two Sensata workers, Mark Schreck and Tom Gaulrapp, about their tenure at the company and why they area appealing to Romney.

Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp, who has supported the encampment and fended off calls for it to be shut down, says Romney should get directly involved in the issue. He says he has invited both President Obama and Romney to come to Freeport for a presidential debate, the location of a famous debate between Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, and the incumbent Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas on August 27, 1858.

Democracy Now! first spoke to the Sensata workers at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, where they unsuccessfully tried to meet with Romney. Now, they have returned to Freeport and set up a protest camp in a bid to save their jobs.

Goodman spent the evening at "Bainport" camp talking with two longtime female Sensata workers, Dot Turner and Cheryl Randecker.

For all of our coverage on the 2012 election, visit the Democracy Now! news archive here.

Join Democracy Now! on Facebook, and share with a friend!

 

Follow Democracy Now! on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@democracynow

Comments

[wtg246]

10:59 AM on 10/20/2012

Republicans:
Inventives for overseas. We lost five million manufacturing jobs during the Bush republican years.
5% tax rate for overseas profits.
Govt paying to move equipment overseas.
It's a global economy, we don't need these jobs here.
Govt will pay for unemployment, retraining, and pick up lost pensions.
Democrats:
Did away with 5% tax rate for overseas profits. (needless to say gop wants returned)
Passed legislatio for 100% write offs for improvements made in this country which created demand for machinery and equipment and created more jobs.
Tax breaks for businesses in this country.
Enforcing trade laws.
Negotiated trade agreements for americans instead of for corporations to make more overseas.
This is why exports and manufacturing have grown the last 3 1/2 years. Don't turn back the clock again. Republicans lead us to economic collapse the fall of 2008 - don't them destroy us again.

[wtg246]

10:38 AM on 10/20/2012

Republicans continue to vote for incentives to go overseas instead of here and they want to bring back the 2005 republican legislation that taxes overseas profits at just 5%. Obama and dems discontinued this in favor of 100% write offs for improvements of machinery and equipment made in this country which created demand for machinery and equipment and created more jobs. This is why our manufacturing has been growing and expanding the last 3 1/2 years vs contracting and losing five million manufacturing jobs during the Bush and republican years. How do they get away with this? They are using religion, guns, abortion, divide and conquer to manipulate voters just so they can continue moving operations overseas to make record profits - selling out american workers. Is this what you want. Do you think these jobs are expendable?

[billlll1]

07:54 AM on 10/17/2012

move the company and let the pensioners receive their pension.....or......don't move it go out of business no pension for you

[monicayork]

10:50 PM on 10/19/2012

Sensata made over a $500,000 profit in the 3rd quarter of 2012. Sensata was not going bankrupt. No, it's a scam and Romney is in front.

[wtg246]

10:44 AM on 10/20/2012

This company was making record profits. And many times the workers lose their pension and the govt has to pick it up - only the workers get a fraction of what their pension would have been. Republicans have done this thruout the Bush years. Move jobs overseas and let the govt pay for unemployment, retraining, and lost pensions. This is not the direction we need to be headed. This is why people fell behind on their mortgages in the first place. Yet the gop continue to vote for incentives overseas and they want to bring back their 5% tax rate on overseas profits that Obama and dems did away with in favor of 100% write offs for improvements made in this country for machinery and equipment that created demand and more jobs. This is what works. If incentives to go overseas are done away with, as well as the 5% tax rate, incentives for here are passed, and trade laws enforced, we grow manufacturing as we have the last 3 1/2 years.

[Independent Thinker1]

11:53 PM on 10/15/2012

I bet Mitt would call his boys over at Bain ordering them to hold off until after the election if Sensata was in Ohio, then use it to say how he saved Ohioans. But it's in Illinois where he's down 11% so he don't care...

[wtg246]

10:45 AM on 10/20/2012

They set the date for closing November 5th thinking they would never get any attention until after the election.

[kikipren]

08:50 PM on 10/12/2012

This should definitely be used in an Obama campaign add.

[dranyamelknur]

12:07 AM on 09/22/2012

These workers have sent delegates to the Iowa State Fair to talk to Romney. They were shouted down and called communists. Does this soundl like the Sheep in Animal Farm? They tried again at a Romney Election Headquarters near Madison, Wi. The police ordered them to leave. Why aren't the Obama campaign people picking up on this. It shows Mitt the Hypocrit's lack of concern not just for the 47% they claim are basically freeloaders, but also his lack of concern for the working class people. This should be broadcast in an Obama Campaign ad.

[mjohnson k]

12:46 AM on 10/09/2012

How is that man running for POTUS while this is happening and everyone is giving him a pass on it? Shameful to say the least!

[wtg246]

10:50 AM on 10/20/2012

Obama and dems did away with the 5% tax rate on overseas profits that republicans passed in 2005 and want returned. Instead, Obama and dems passed legislation for 100% write offs for improvements made in this country, which created demand for machinery and equipment which created more jobs. This was all covered on business reports, with caterpillar stock doubling. This is what works. Republicans talk global economy - translation use cheap labor overseas. Our manufactruring grew the last 3 1/2 years as well as exports. Why? Because of legislation Obama and dems passed without the support of one republican. This is why manufacturing states are blue. They know how republicans have voted against them, they know that they were sold out by republicans. Look at the map - blue states heavy in manufacturing know this. Things that Fox News will never report on.

[USVETSUNPLUGGED]

11:53 PM on 09/20/2012

Let's connect the dots: Ronmney still earns money from Bain, blind trust or not, and Romney is not interested in helping the poor, disenfranchised and veterans. He is only interested in holding his wealth and helping his friends and cohorts hold their obscene wealth. Moving jobs to China while screwing the American worker in order to make more money to horde is Ronmey's frame of mind. His greedy mindset is not even congruent with the Mormon religion.

[wtg246]

10:53 AM on 10/20/2012

Republcians believe that manufacturing jobs can all be moved overseas and that this country will survive on high tech jobs, banking, and service jobs. Well, we know where that lead us to the fall of 2008 - an economic collapse when people lost their jobs - five million manufacturing jobs and couldn't pay their mortgage. Or went bankrupt from healthcare costs. Yet the gop and Bush did nothing. THey refused to meet with our manufacturing. Other world leaders were asked about this and they couldn't believe that they would be so arrogant and stupid to do this. They were interviews on the News Hour and Nightly Business Report.

[rob126]

11:42 PM on 09/20/2012

Freeloaders. Expecting someone to provide work and pay them. Go out and find rich parents like a Real American. :-)

[mjohnson k]

12:47 AM on 10/09/2012

It's a gd topsy-turvy world!

[LisaKay]

10:56 PM on 09/20/2012

uh ohhh BAIN AGAIN