Morgan Hughes, an auto worker with UAW Local 402 in Springfield, Ohio, has seen orders at her General Motors plant plummet due to Trump's tariffs. The plant, recently sold, faces uncertainty as concerns over closure have loomed for years.
Workers Share Their Stories
Brenda Davis, a retiree who worked at Ford in Ohio for over 20 years, was dismayed to learn her new Buick was made entirely in China. Foreign vehicles are banned from autoworker parking lots as reminders of outsourcing threats.
Democratic representatives and policy experts recently met with workers in union halls across the Midwest to address trade policies and tariffs ahead of the 2026 midterms. The town halls, organized by Public Citizen with unions like the UAW, aim to counter damage from long-term trade policies that fueled offshoring.
Impact of Trade Deals
US manufacturing jobs peaked at 19.6 million in 1979 but have declined since NAFTA, signed in 1994. Trump's USMCA in 2020 did little to stem the loss. Over 950,000 jobs were certified lost due to NAFTA, though the number is likely an undercount.
Representative Rashida Tlaib said, "NAFTA-style trade deals have failed working families." The Midwest, historically accounting for a third of US manufacturing jobs, lost over 1 million such jobs from 1990 to 2019.
Personal Experiences
Morgan Hughes' father worked at the International Motors plant in Springfield when it employed 5,000; now it has 1,300. Hughes started in 2012 amid closure fears as production moved to Mexico. "Tariffs and trade agreements have been our life," she said.
Janice Williams, a retired Ford worker, said offshoring took opportunities from her family. "Working-class people seem to be disappearing," she said. Gail Aleshire, retired from GM Lordstown before its 2019 closure, worries about her son and grandchildren's futures.
Meschelle Wilson, a Ford worker in Dearborn, urged focusing on worker issues over party labels. Marjorie Chambers, retired from GM, stressed educating workers on union goals and voting. "A house divided cannot stand," she said.
Political Challenges
Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia noted Democrats' limited power but said they can convince voters that Trump isn't producing for them. David Green, UAW Region 2B director, recalled Trump's failed promises in Lordstown, where the plant closed under Trump's watch. "Elections have consequences," Green said, emphasizing backing politicians who fight for working people.
