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.

Meghan Cofield

Dayton, OH

Meghan lost her job of nearly 13 years in Dayton, Ohio when five Delphi plants (auto parts suppliers) and a GM plant all closed.

“The last job I was on, they sold the technology to China because it was actually a profitable job.  But they sold the technology and they were sending that over there from under us.  Several of the other profitable jobs I've had over the years, once the job started being pretty profitable, they'd send them overseas to Mexico...

"I was stressed out for two years because I knew something was going on.  It was pretty bad...  There wasn't direct notice [from the company]...  Also, for those two years, we weren't getting 40-hour work weeks... My budget was based on a 40-hour work week...

"My son was really stressed out a lot for the last two years of high school.  We started getting in trouble financially with the house; it was really bad... I can't even put it into any other words... I just didn't know what I was going to do...

"Five Delphi plants have closed.  It's the major source of business in this city.  There's all the suppliers, too.  Coating companies.  Stamping companies.  So many different little businesses that were tied to those plants."