For too long, debates over international trade have been dominated by corporate elites and economic ideologues, rather than rooted in the experiences of ordinary Americans. 

The Trade Stories Project allows people who have been affected by policies and institutions like NAFTA and the WTO to share their views on a matter crucial to the global economy. 

This includes displaced workers, farmers, small business owners and immigrants who have been typically excluded from the trade debate.

Bill Kluting

Monmouth, OR

After losing his job at a plywood plant in Dallas, Oregon due to trade, Bill eventually took a position with the Carpenters Industrial Council helping displaced workers obtain Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits. He describes the difficulty older people face when looking for a new career.

“It's against the law to discriminate against age, but let me tell you.  They may not ask what year you were born, but they'll ask, 'What year did you graduate from high school?' ...

"Most of your two-year courses start in the fall.  If you're not approved for [TAA] benefits by then, you either have to sit out -- and, remember, your unemployment benefits only last 24 months. Once you're approved, the clock starts ticking. So people take other courses."