The working men and women of Michigan have always been Congressman Dingell’s top priority. Throughout his tenure in Congress, he has actively worked against efforts to weaken our labor laws, to increase the minimum wage, stop the dumping of foreign steel into our market and to provide a safe work environment for all working people.

October 03, 2005 - Representative Dingell at the GEMA opening ceremony in Dundee

A recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers showed 80 percent of respondents indicated that they are experiencing a shortage of qualified workers overall. There are jobs waiting if we can equip workers with the proper skills. Many local colleges and universities are partnering with businesses to create programs to train these workers for reemployment. Congressman Dingell has consistently supported increased funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP). MEP is the only federal program dedicated to providing technical support and services to manufacturers, providing access to training and technologies that improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability helping manufacturers to compete in the global workforce.

Congressman Dingell believes in fair trade, not free trade, and wants to ensure that as America opens up its market to imports our trading partners should open up their markets as well. He has voted in favor of free trade agreements that included protections for worker rights and the environment, but has opposed trade deals when those protections were weak or absent. Currently, he has expressed his displeasure with the recently negotiated Korea Free Trade Agreement because it does not open the Korean market to U.S. made automobiles.

Congressman Dingell has also been a strong advocate for ending international currency manipulation. Nations such as China and Japan have used international currency markets to drive down the cost of their own currencies; this artificially lowers the price of their exports and drives the prices of American made goods artificially higher. At a recent three-committee hearing on this issue Congressman Dingell gave the following statement (link), outlining the problems of currency manipulation.

He has also been a co-sponsor of H.R. 1278, a bi-partisan bill that would establish a full time trade prosecutor in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative who would be responsible for prosecuting unfair trade practices by our trading partners.