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.

Gayleen Spooner

Presque Isle, ME

Gayleen has worked in mills since she was 18.  She lost her 8-year job at the Pinkham Lumber sawmill in Ashland, Maine when it closed in 2008.

Hear part of Gayleen’s story...

“Some of the guys went through a depression, like, ‘Where am I going to end up at my age?’  It’s scary because in this area there’s not a lot of jobs.  [Those jobs that do exist] pay a lot less than what we were making…

“[There’s one particular employer] which is a better-paying place for this area, but you’re still talking around $11-an-hour, where the mill paid better and it was closer to home.  Gas does matter at the price of it…  Then you’ve got Wal-Mart and the stores, but they only pay about $8-an-hour, when you’re used to making anywhere from 11 to 15, and that’s a drive, too… 

“I’m afraid that all the young people are going to end up leaving because there’s no jobs or opportunities here… We’re building a new school in Ashland, but there’s the fear, ‘Are we going to have any kids to put in it?’  The young people are moving away.”