President Barack Obama encourages manufacturers to bring jobs home from overseas, just like Master Lock did. Appearing at the Milwaukee company, Obama praises Master Lock and the firm’s President and CEO John Heppner for bringing 100 jobs from China back to Milwaukee. “Today for the first time in 15 years this plant is running at full capacity, and that’s an example of what happens when unions and employers work together to create good jobs.”
Obama says being out of work “wears on you.” He tells the crowd everybody benefits when manufacturing is going strong. “You all have heard enough about outsourcing. More and more companies like Master Lock are now insourcing.”
AUDIO: Full speech 27 minutes
The crowd cheers and chants “right now,” as Obama says he wants Congress to immediately reform the tax code so companies that export jobs won’t get a tax break, and instead, companies that create jobs in the United States should be rewarded with tax incentives. “It is time to stop rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas and start rewarding companies that are creating jobs right here in the United States of America.”
The president also wants community colleges to become community career centers, helping to train 2 million American workers with good job skills.
Republican Governor Scott Walker greeted the president at the airport and presented him with a Milwaukee Brewers jersey, but his office says the governor was too sick to join Obama at the Master Lock factory speaking to the union workers.
Obama also mentions Diamond Precision in Milwaukee, a machine manufacturer adding new jobs; and Collaborative Consulting, an IT company opening a new call center in Wausau. In a statement, Governor Walker takes some credit for helping those companies to grow, “I’m glad that the President highlighted two companies we worked with during the past year to create jobs in Wisconsin.”
Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brad Courtney says in a statement, Obama’s appearance in Milwaukee is “nothing more than a taxpayer-funded campaign stop in his quest for re-election. Sadly, the President’s remarks were simply more of the same empty promises we’ve come to expect from the campaigner-in-chief.”
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 2:00
Audio WUWM, Milwaukee