February 26, 2004

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm will join governors from at least two other states hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs in an effort to get federal officials to focus on reforms needed to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. The governors will lead a series of events in Washington, D.C. on April 27 to focus on the need for changes at the federal level to keep the U.S. competitive and create and retain more manufacturing jobs.

The events planned, including meetings with congressional leaders and Bush administration officials, will draw attention to the problems that Granholm and others feel are plaguing U.S. manufacturers trying to compete with manufacturers in foreign countries. She will be joined by Governors Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Jim Doyle of Wisconsin in convening the April events.

"Even though there has been a lot of discussion about manufacturing issues among governors at the National Governors Association winter meeting these past few days, the silence from the Bush administration on the problems facing our manufacturers has been deafening," Granholm said. "These events on April 27 will engage federal and administration officials in addressing the needs and concerns of U.S. manufacturers so we can retain and grow more jobs in this critical labor sector."

Granholm said the meetings would focus on issues identified by Michigan labor and business leaders at the Governor’s Manufacturing Matters to Michigan Summit held in December. Those issues include:

International Trade: A level playing field for manufacturing must be created. International trade regulations are not adequately enforced by the federal government, which is negatively impacting the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing base.

Workforce Training and Development: A well-educated and skilled workforce is essential for the success of manufacturing in Michigan and the U.S. Workforce training and technical assistance for small and medium-sized companies, along with research and development (R&D), are key to developing that workforce.

Rising Pension and Health Care Costs: Companies want to provide appropriate pension and health care benefits to their employees, but the skyrocketing cost of those benefits must be addressed and curbed. Those costs negatively impact competitiveness when companies are forced to divert money from R&D and hiring to cover those liabilities.

U.S. - Canada Border Infrastructure: Manufacturers trade parts and finished goods across North America and around the globe. Customs procedures must be simplified and automated to facilitate the flow of low-risk goods.

Energy Policy: The U.S. needs diversified, affordable, reliable, new domestic and competitive sources of energy, such as clean coal, oil, natural gas, hydro, solar, wind, alternative feed stocks and biomass, and investment in infrastructure, as well as a national focus on conservation.

"Governors from all states with a major manufacturing presence will be encouraged to attend and be involved," Granholm said. "This issue is vital to the national economy, and we are determined to engage the administration and Congress to help us level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers, so we can create and retain more good paying jobs here."