Trade Stories Project
Why America and the World Need a New Model for Trade
Small Businesses at a Loss
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.
Ken LovePittsburgh, PA
Ken worked for General Motors for 23 years. He lost his job when GM closed its Pittsburgh plant. Taking a 60 percent pay cut, he put himself through college and became a Pastor at Kerr Presbyterian Church.
"My lifestyle changed drastically. The plant closing affected my family, community and co-workers. Even the small businesses were at a loss. For example, a small family-owned bar around the corner from the plant that depended on the workers for lunch and drinks after work slowly went downhill. Companies such as Delta Electric, Lenex brakes, and many other small part supplying Pittsburgh plants, who depended on the GM plant as a customer for their products, are being shut down."