Let's commit to Canadian workers too

I just bought a pair of running shoes and when I put them on, I found a tag on them with this message:

“Committed to American Workers.  Congratulations:  You now own a pair of shoes that were made or assembled by the New Balance team in one of our five U.S. factories. New Balance proudly relies on our manufacturing associates to produce a quarter of our North American footwear worn by consumers (approximately 7 million pairs of shoes) in the U.S. each year.  We made our first pair of running shoes in 1938, and hold the distinction as the only company that still manufactures athletic shoes in the U.S.  As a company, we are proud to invest in American workers, who provide some of the greatest working spirit, commitment to advancement and ingenuity known in the industrial world. Committed to American Workers is more than a slogan or viewpoint – it is the heart and ‘sole’ of our company.”

I admire this (except for the lame pun). I realize there are problems here – that phrase ‘our manufacturing associates,’ whatever that means; the fact that only ¼ of the shoes are made in the USA; and the questions about where the other 3/4s are made and under what kind of working conditions, yadda yadda.  But still, I wish we had initiatives like this.

It’s also appalling that NewBal is the only U.S. company left who manufactures running shoes in the U.S.   The situation is probably worse in Canada – do we have any domestic running shoe manufacturers, let alone any who manufacture on Canadian soil?

As a consumer, I would like to have things labeled so I could make the choice to support Canadian manufacturers and other Canadian workers having jobs and homes. I’m all for that. Why don’t we do it?


**************