print this page

Pictured visiting with Congressman Melancon are l to r: front row – Doug Watts, RR Coordinator LU 620, Mike Turnage, President LU 750, Congressman Charlie Melancon, Wilton Ledet RR Coordinator LU 750: back row – Brent Petit, President LU 13-447 Jordy Richardson, President LU 620, John Patrick, Assistant to the Director, Ben Lilienfeld District 13 RR Coordinator

On August 28, local union Rapid Response coordinators, presidents and staff met with U.S. Congressional Representative Charlie Melancon (D) of Louisiana’s 3rd District. The group discussed the Decent Working Conditions Act (HR 1992), a bill amending the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit the import, export, and sale of goods made with sweatshop labor, and for other purposes.

The assembled union members discussed with Congressman Melancon the need to prevent sweatshop-made goods from entering our country and to uphold basic worker rights throughout the world. “No worker should be deprived of the basic rights outlined in the bill,” said Doug Watts, USW Local 620 Rapid Response Coordinator.

USW Local 620 presented Congressman Melancon with more than 100 letters written urging him to sign on as a co-sponsor. The Congressman said, “Keep them coming.”

We were very pleased when, at the end of the meeting, Congressman Melancon committed to vote for passage of the bill and when he gets back to our nation’s capitol he will be looking at co-sponsoring the bill.