From the Desk of

Michael Blichasz

Host of the Saturday Variety Program at 11 A.M.
1540 AM Radio WNWR • Philadelphia, PA
AmericanWorkersNeedYou.com

Commentary from Saturday, October 31, 2009


Where Do I Find Made in the USA?

The upcoming holiday season is a major opportunity for us to support stores, big and small, that feature a reasonable selection of American and foreign made products. The goal of this campaign is to bring about a more realistic balance between imported and domestic products and to speak up at the cash register in support of American workers. If we are to make positive changes, business owners must understand that the American people are disappointed with the large number of jobs relocated abroad and that customers will bypass stores not offering a reasonable balance between American made and imported items.

We all know about the large numbers of American manufacturing jobs lost during the last 20 years. It is very discouraging for qualified people seeking employment to see every level of employment being affected by outsourcing abroad. This fact is very evident every time we pass empty manufacturing and office facilities that closed due to world competition or in search of cheap labor. The “For Sale” or “Available” signs announce that American workers are no longer employed at these facilities and manufacturing in America continues to diminish. When you pass by these vacant facilities, think about how they could be revitalized if we unite for the restoration of manufacturing in the U.S.A.

Recently a listener told me she would like me to accompany her on a trip to the mall so she could show me how difficult it is to find American made items.

I know this situation very well. Recently, I was looking to replace my Black & Decker drill. I purchased the one I have about 12 years ago; it was made in the U.S.A. I went shopping at store and, after finding the item I needed, I looked to see where it was made. To my dismay I could not find one product of its type made in the U.S.A., so I asked the clerk for assistance. She responded by stating that products are made in several countries, and advised me to bring my concerns to the customer service desk. The customer service clerk told me they sell what is on the shelves and if I had concerns I should contact corporate headquarters. I decided to shop at another store with the hope I could find what I was looking for with an American made label. At the next store I found the same situation. The item I needed was packaged with a traditional American brand logo, but it was made abroad, so I’m still shopping for a new drill.

This turned out to be another opportunity to see for myself that not only have our jobs been moved abroad, but our well established American technology has also been turned over to foreign countries. If we don’t speak up now and seek out every American made product first, nothing will change and we will see more jobs leave the U.S.A.

This is Michael Blichasz, and as always, I appreciate hearing from you. I welcome your comments and suggestions and ask that you spread the word to your family and friends. You can email me from my Internet site at: AmericanWorkersNeedYou.com or MichaelSupportsAmerica.com.