For too long, debates over international trade have been dominated by corporate elites and economic idealogues, 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.

Don Coulter

Columbus, OH

Don was a Machinist at a Columbus plant of the Timken Company, headquarted in Canton, Ohio.  The plant closed in 2002, with part of its operations relocating to Mexico under NAFTA.  At age 61, Don was considered lucky to receive partial retirement benefits. 

“But I didn't get the retirement that I wanted... I wanted to get at least 35 [years]; I got 27.  That cut the earnings from my retirement... As far as healthcare, my insurance was fine up unlit last year.  Now I have to pay a percentage of my own healthcare...

"There's a lot of reasons why we got this way... Greed is one of them, and NAFTA, which was supposed to help the whole world out.  NAFTA's the worst thing that ever happened to this country because it took a lot of jobs away... These politicians use our tax dollars to pay for American businesses to leave this coutry and to got to other countries... We're paying for this stuff!"