UPDATED: Sensata Story Will Destroy Romney -Romney's Bain Currently Selling Out US Workers to China

[Indep2992]

Last edited Sun Oct 14, 2012, 05:05 PM - Edit history (33)

Please spread the word. This is so awful.

As covered on the ED show last night on MSNBC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=UDqCrbz4OvU

Citations:
-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/is-this-why-romney-wont-t_b_1956151.html
-http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/us/politics/as-romney-repeats-trade-message-bain-maintains-china-ties.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
-http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/13/1143996/-The-Sansata-Story-Could-Destroy-Romney

-http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/bain-never-left-romney/
The testimonial from the workers video cites the above New York Times article.

"In addition, Mr. Romney’s generous retirement agreement ensures that he continues to profit from the deals and decisions that Bain makes. He owns about $8 million worth of Bain funds that hold 51 percent of Sensata’s shares. If Sensata saves money by closing the Freeport plant, that could add money to Mr. Romney’s trust accounts, now or after the election."

We need to spread the word - this is too scary and important to let the MSM slide on not covering this.
Everyone please do your part to get this story out!
Twitter, FB, Reddit, Emails, Google+
Call and email your local TV news stations and email CNN, MSNBC, FOX, NBC, ABC. This story needs to go viral.

I'm a newbie, so IDK if this is the best place to put this thread. But we honestly shouldn't let this thread and story die. If Americans hear about this, I don't see how Romney will hold the perceived employment advantage that low info voters claim him to have. This story can bring Romney down and to justice.


UPDATE #2:
Romney Campaign calls police on workers being outsourced by Bain-owned Sensata

UPDATE #3:
Sensata Worker Outsourced by Bain Speaks Out

UPDATE #4:
The workers from the plant have a website:
http://bainport.com/

UPDATE #5:
PDF of the report that shows wage calculations for those in China and pictures of the factory in China.
Download and save and send people, this is crazy stuff.
http://www.globallabourrights.org/admin/reports/files/1210-Bain-Capital-Pitting-American-Workers-Against-Workers-in-China-Earning-Just-99-Cents-an-Hour.pdf

UPDATE #8:
Give Us A Break (another video about the workers)

UPDATE #6:
Apparently this Sensata plant story by the NYT (see above) was on the COVER yet it did not make TV news.
[URL=http://imgur.com/2DTIQ][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

UPDATE #7:
SO IRONIC HAHA
In Ohio today, Romney hammered Obama on Inaction on China Trade --- in the meantime, this Sensata story blew up on social media...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/13/romney-obama-china_n_1963944.html

UPDATE #9:
Tax break off firm sending Sensata jobs to China
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/27/mitt-romney-sensata-tax-break_n_1920396.html

UPDATE #10:
Was Sensata technologies in trouble? No, it was doing great. But they wanted more money.

http://www.globallabourrights.org/admin/reports/files/1210-Bain-Capital-Pitting-American-Workers-Against-Workers-in-China-Earning-Just-99-Cents-an-Hour.pdf

Bain Capital was founded by Mitt Romney in 1984 as a global private investment firm. Sensata Technologies, a Bain affiliate, was formed in April 2006 when the company purchased Texas Instruments’ sensors and controls division for $770 million. Just four years later, by 2010, Bain’s original investment had quadrupled to $3.2 billion, we believe largely due to outsourcing.

In 2011, when Bain and Sensata executives informed the Freeport workers, somewhat cavalierly, that they would be terminated in November 2012 and went on to explain that they were temporarily leasing the factory but were purchasing the machinery and the workers’ skills to train Chinese engineers before the work was shipped to China.

In fact, Mr. Jacob Sayer — a Sensata spokesperson, said they were closing the Freeport plant in order to cut costs. Mr. Sayer went on: “If that had not been part of the strategy, then the deal would not have been so attractive.” When questioned by Paul Harris of The Guardian (August 10, 2012), the same spokesperson refused to comment, saying “We don’t have a statement on the impact it has on Freeport.”

Bain and Sensata executives did not have a lot of time to talk about the 170 workers being terminated at the Freeport plant. The executives have had more pressing issues, such as setting up 12 Sensata/Bain capital funds “organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands” so as to avoid paying taxes.

http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/18/why-romney-cant-save-the-sensata-workers/

From the outset, Sensata said that it planned to move the jobs overseas at year-end 2012, since the majority of its auto-sensor business is in Asia. In fact, Sensdata didn't even buy the manufacturing facility from Honeywell. It leased it, with Honeywell expected to hang a for-sale sign when Sensata moves out in a few months.

To be sure, this is a horrible situation for the Sensata employees – the vast majority of whom have not yet found other employment (Honeywell hired just a small number of folks to work in its other Freeport facilities). After all, Sensata has never suggested that the plant was unprofitable. It simply thinks the effort would be more profitable elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the workers are barking up the wrong tree with Romney.

Remember, this is the guy whose campaign got into a well-publicized scuffle over whether he really stopped making decisions for Bain Capital in 1999 or 2002 (for the record, it was 1999). How could he possibly open himself up to legitimate charges of influencing Bain's behavior in 2012? Even if one argues it's the right thing to do for the workers, it's not the politically feasible thing to do (and, if anything, Romney tries to be a pragmatist in such matters).

Moreover, there is little guarantee that a Romney plea would even save the jobs. Yes, he has friends and former colleagues on the Sensata board, including chairman Paul Edgerley. But they have fiduciary responsibilities to their own investors, and Sensata has made it clear that the best financial move is to shutter Freeport.

UPDATE #11:
Workers upset with Romneys profit ‘harvest’ comments in 1985 video

http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/10/03/sensata-workers-attack-romney%E2%80%99s-profit-%E2%80%98harvest%E2%80%99-comments/

UPDATE #12:
Schilling Walks Out, Can't Take The Heat Of The Sensata Debate At Recent Town Hall Meeting (VIDEO)

http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2012/09/19/schilling-walks-out-cant-take-heat-sensata-debate-recent-town-hall-mee

UPDATE #13:
New from DailyKos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/13/1144087/-More-on-Bain-Moving-Sensata-to-China

Mitt Romney: A "Blind trust is an age-old ruse"

UPDATE #14:
from freshwest

[URL=http://imgur.com/Askzz][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

Sensata Workers Are Living Proof that Romney’s Tough Talk on China is Worthless

By: Jason EasleyOctober 13th, 2012

Mitt Romney is running around Ohio talking tough about China today, but one place he won’t go near is Freeport, IL where the Bain owned Sensata Technologies is sending 170 jobs to China.

During campaign stops in Ohio today, Romney said, “It’s time for us to stand up to China for their cheating. It’s got to stop. We’ve got to get those jobs back and make trade to be fair.”

In a statement, Obama campaign spokesman Danny Kanner responded to Romney’s tough talk, “Mitt Romney’s talking tough, but his record and his policies show he’s anything but when it comes to China. Mitt Romney called the President’s aggressive action on behalf of American tire workers ‘decidedly bad for the nation.’ As a corporate buyout specialist, he invested in companies that were pioneers in outsourcing to low-wage countries like China. And now, while President Obama would close tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping American jobs overseas, Mitt Romney’s tax plan could create 800,000 jobs outside of America. That’s not a candidate who would be tough on China as president – that’s a candidate who thinks sounding tough will win him votes...”

http://www.politicususa.com/sensata-workers-living-proof-romneys-tough-talk-china-worthless.html

Don't let up, keep on it, people's lives are at stake, not just in Freeport but all of America. This is the vision that Romney has, reducing the men and women of this nation to slave labor. And all for no good reason, just more greed.

UPDATE #14:
More videos:
Max: Outsourced Sensata Worker on Training Her Chinese Replacement

Cheryl Randecker, About to Lose Her Job to Outsourcing, Protests Romney Economy

UPDATE #15:
The Guardian covered this in August:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/aug/10/illinois-workers-bain-outsourcing

UPDATE #16:
Sensata Workers Respond to Leaked Video On Bain/Romney Business Model

UPDATE #17:
8/29/12 VERY GOOD Rolling Stone Article: "Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital
How the GOP presidential candidate and his private equity firm staged an epic wealth grab, destroyed jobs – and stuck others with the bill"
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829

UPDATE #18:
NEWS ARTICLE TODAY IN INQUISITR: "Sensata Technologies: Scandal Could Be Brewing For Mitt Romney"
http://www.inquisitr.com/362821/sensata-technologies-scandal-could-be-brewing-for-mitt-romney/

UPDATE #19:
And... the GOP begins its spin! (See Twitter, false articles, misleading fact quotes, etc)
Here are the facts:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144360/-As-Story-Grows-GOP-Spin-Begins-5-Facts-About-Sensata
Keep in mind that this is linked to the 47% video obviously.

We kept this thing organized for this reason - GOP spin. Facts matter. We can fight spin with facts.

UPDATE #20:
Mother Jones: Romney's Stake in Chinese Stocks
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/romney-china-stock-investments

UPDATE #21:
DailyKos has these updates out - READ:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144360/-As-Story-Grows-GOP-Spin-Begins-5-Facts-About-Sensata

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144475/-Jake-Tapper-Calls-Out-Romney-s-Conflict-of-Interest-in-China

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144354/-STORY-Romney-Founded-Bain-Bain-Is-Still-Bain-On-11-5-12-Bain-Is-Selling-US-Jobs-To-China

UPDATE #22:
VIDEO: Today's livestream interview of the workers at Sensata
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/26152391#utm_campaign=t.co&utm_source=26152391&utm_medium=social

UPDATE #23:
Clarification on the American and Chinese flag:

There seems to be some confusion about whether or not our Sensata plant took down our American flag and replaced it with the Chinese flag. Here is the truth. Sensata took down our American flag on the day they flew in our Chinese replacements that we were forced to train. They put our American flag back up after the Chinese workers left. They never flew the Chinese flag.

http://bainport.com/post/33539176657/setting-the-record-straight-on-the-chinese-flag

UPDATE #24:
from DU user identify
Feature about the Overpass Light Brigade at Bainport
https://vimeo.com/50491093

UPDATE #15:
GOP knows about this - Spinning today from FOX News:
http://nation.foxnews.com/obama/2012/10/14/obama-owns-shares-sensata-personally-benefits-outsourcing-jobs-china

BUT...

From the NYT article:

For many sophisticated and wealthy investors, as well as for ordinary workers invested in pension funds, China is a part of any diversified investment strategy. President Obama, a former Illinois state senator, has as much as $100,000 in a state retirement plan that contains shares of Sensata Technologies, the same auto parts company controlled by Bain that is closing its Illinois factory.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/us/politics/as-romney-repeats-trade-message-bain-maintains-china-ties.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

This merely means that the state of Illinois has a partly-private retirement plan for its elected officials. As part of its shared investments for all of the employees eligible under the state retirement system holds shares of Sensata. This has nothing specific to do with President Obama, other than that he once held a job which contributed to the state retirement system.

Why again this story matters:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144354/-STORY-Romney-Founded-Bain-Bain-Is-Still-Bain-On-11-5-12-Bain-Is-Selling-US-Jobs-To-China

[Oilwellian]

1. Wouldn't it be nice...

to see President Obama or VP Biden, make that plant a campaign stop? Imagine the ads...

[lobointexas]

13. I was thinking the exact same thing.

Maybe this would force some MSM coverage.

[chelsea0011]

54. This will be the only reason MSM will pick up the story. But you watch.

I have a feeling that MSM is about to make hay about the Libya embassy tragedy at the expense of the Obama administration. Meanwhile, this type of story will be ignored. Don't wan t to rattle Rmoney too close to the election.

[Citizen Worker]

25. Sensata will NOT be mentioned in the upcoming debate nor will it be featured in a campaign stop.

Why? Because lurking in the background is the Trans Pacific Partnership supported by both political parties. The TPP will replicate the Sensata story over and over. Neither party will touch this story and it will slowly fade from public view and consciousness.

[villager]

52. Alas.

And alack.

Ultimately, it's either "good cops" or "bad cops" as our electoral choice.

[BadgerKid]

158. Sounds correct.

I came in here looking for mention of this. In my view, neither party truly acts in a way to un-offshore jobs.

What jobs are we supposed to train especially today's youth for?

[ffr]

30. There's no downside to putting the spotlight on this situation

Mitt & the GOP need to be voted out. No More Republicans!

[maddiemom]

55. Unbelievable that possible Republican presidential nominees

were reduced to an already disgraced former congressman, a religious zealot(or two), some zany or barely literate unaccountably elected officials and Ron Paul, who has many agreeing on half of his program, while appalled at the other half---whichever way they swing. Mitt Romney actually looked like the sane choice. Then we find he's the poster boy for what has destroyed our economy. What better choice for a presidential candidate at this point in history? The Republican party seriously needs some grownups to take charge. Unfortunately the teabaggers have rendered any who are, ineffectual or cowed.

[Indep2992]

62. The party is becoming outdated... It will prob change in few election cycles

It is pretty out of touch.

[99Forever]

2. More than worth watching.

Thanks.

[Indep2992]

10. Thank you

It is definitely such a powerful story. Makes a person really think about what is at stake in this election.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

3. I guess the corprat wingnut media is deliberately ignoring this as well

as the blatant racism shown by Romney supporters. It's really intereSTINK what the media chooses NOT to report when it comes to this jackass.

[Indep2992]

4. We can help them take notice!

Send this information to the local Democratic HQ in your area.
Send this story to your family members and extended family members.
Call and email local TV stations.
Call and email TV stations in rural areas.
Send in tips to CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC.
Send in tips to newspapers and magazines.
Use social media to get people to notice.

That is what is in our hands - the power to spread information and awareness.

Yeah, I don't think the MSM will cover this without some push because they are probably funded by interests that fund Romney... But we should do our best to alert networks and people to this story. That I think is in our hands.

[freshwest]

69. Excellent ideas, all. Thanks for this.

[WCGreen]

103. It's a good thing more and more people are lookng toward alternative sources for information...

Everything is changing everywhere...

[Tigress DEM]

5. Romney holds 51% of the Sensata stock. Isn't that termed a "controlling interest" ??

"In addition, Mr. Romney’s generous retirement agreement ensures that he continues to profit from the deals and decisions that Bain makes. He owns about $8 million worth of Bain funds that hold 51 percent of Sensata’s shares. If Sensata saves money by closing the Freeport plant, that could add money to Mr. Romney’s trust accounts, now or after the election."

[Indep2992]

7. I know, and he pretends like he has no involvement...

That's why this story would be devastating for him if it reached the national level.

[Voice for Peace]

21. the writing in the article is confusing

it's not clear that 8 million is 51% of Sensata shares.

Sounds like Bain holds 51% of Sensata shares.
Mitt Romney owns 8million of those Bain funds.

[Voice for Peace]

23. A good question for Obama to ask Mitt is if he feels good about

making large profits from this, even if he has no
controlling decision-making power -- because it
seems to me there is a question as to how much
Mitt still has a say.

However as they said in the video it's so much
about the morality -- of the whole system, which
Mitt spearheaded.

Even if he claims to be out of it, he is still profiting
greatly from it. That itself is significant.

[Indep2992]

24. Yeah agreed... but he is still tied to Sensata. $8 million is no spare change.

He says he has no involvement with the Sensata company and with Bain, but it is obvious he does.

LOL sidenote:

When VP Joe Biden said in the debate "I have a bridge to sell you"... I thought to myself.. "Romney could buy that."

[DonViejo]

29. LOL sidenote

LMAO!! Great sense of humor you have there! Welcome to DU!

[Voice for Peace]

65. lol

weirdly 8 million dollars no longer sounds like much
money to me -- probably because of the spending in
the election, and the amounts of money I keep hearing
about in the billions and trillions, and 60 million from
this PAC and 30 million from that PAC until 8 million
does sound like small change.

[Tigress DEM]

100. Like McCain misplaced a house or two. Forgot he owed taxes on them.

These rich people make the kind of mistakes with money no normal person would.

OOOPs side tracked myself.

Maybe for Romney 8 Million IS spare change.

[Tigress DEM]

6. Welcome to DU by the way. Nice start.

[Indep2992]

8. Thanks :)

[Tigress DEM]

9. Good graphic on JOB loss/growth

[Tigress DEM]

11. THIS is the graphic that shows WITHOUT a DOUBT that Bush TAX CUTS DON'T CREATE JOBS

OVER 4 Million Jobs Lost under Bush. LOOK at that PLUNGE!!

[Indep2992]

16. Fantastic Info - Do you have a link?

This is so telling. Great info.

I was wondering if you had a hyperlink for this chart?

[Tigress DEM]

20. HERE, from the HuffPo article (in the OP)

HERE, from the HuffPo article --- half way down the page is where the graph is found


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/is-this-why-romney-wont-t_b_1956151.html

[jillan]

12. THIS is what President Obama needs to bring up at the next debate.

[CabCurious]

159. THIS is what President Obama needed to be talking about for the last four years

Bringing it up right now leaves him open to an incoherent debate about everything involving China over the coming weeks.

The MEDIA and the people are the ones that need to talk this through.

[kentuck]

14. Devastating.

Message.

[Aerows]

15. Wow

This would be devastating for Romney for this to get out. It needs to be the lead story on every news network.

[muntrv]

17. I hope someone at the town hall debate asks Rmoney about Sensata.

[heaven05]

18. this

is not going to do a damn thing to his highness, the mittytwit. too much of the money god on his side in the guise of media and the kock brothers. Most americans voting for his highness could care less, and there are more of them than is popular to admit.

[Indep2992]

19. I'm repeating a reply for emphasis...

We need to not hide behind keyboards and just talk. We need to act in order to get things moving.

(1) Complaining about coverage won't do anything. Yeah, I don't think the MSM will cover this without some push because they are probably funded by interests that fund Romney... But we should do our best to alert networks and people to this story. That I think is in our hands. They cannot ignore a story with a gazillion comments and views.

Send this information to the local Democratic HQ in your area.
Send this story to your family members and extended family members.
Call and email local TV stations.
Call and email TV stations in rural areas.
Send in tips to CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC.
Send in tips to newspapers and magazines.
Use social media to get people to notice.

That is what is in our hands - the power to spread information and awareness.

(2) This story will change the way people look at Romney. Low information voters and Independents are told constantly by the media, by the papers, by radio that Romney holds an advantage in jobs. This is not true. This story has heart. This story will destroy Romney if it gets out. It is our job, I think, to be active and get it out. I emailed so many people and called so many people and outlets. I went crazy with social media and emails. Do the same. Make a difference!

NOTE: I emailed/called people and told them about (1) the workers taking down the American flag/putting up the Chinese flag part, (2) the workers having to train the Chinese who will be taking their jobs (3) the plant will close the day before election day, and (4) Romney will profit immensely and refuses to talk to the workers. That was what will sell. Do the same.

[Chorophyll]

22. Thank you. Read and spread. nt

[nc4bo]

26. So glad to see this as an OP!! Romney/Bain/China involvement directly contradicts his campaign

rhetoric.

Fly high, fly swift little video!! More people need to know what sort of monster is attempting to lead our country!

[OKNancy]

27. Did they put up a Chinese flag? I think I read they just took down the American flag

but didn't put up a Chinese one. If I spread this, I want to be accurate.

[Indep2992]

32. No they definitely put up a Chinese flag.

On the USW video:
@ 1:09 (Chinese flag)
@ 1:27 (Taking down the American flag)

Also, the MSNBC clip, where Ed interviews the President of the USW, Leo Gerard states:
@ 3:25 and after... about closing the plant on Nov 5 and about how Romney has like 10 other companies and figured out how to build his success around outsourcing

[HereSince1628]

33. The story I heard a week ago on ED show on radio was something like this

The caller updated Ed about the protests and in the process related how when Chinese managers showed up to learn the jobs the American flag was taken down and a Chinese flag was flown until the Chinese left...

I can't say the caller was telling the truth but that is what he reported.

[Indep2992]

35. That is what the workers say

That is what the workers in the USW video say.

And when MSNBC's Ed Shultz talked with USW President Leo Gerard about this, the USW President did not contradict or correct this.

[life long demo]

94. Yes, they did take the American flag down but

they didn't put the chinese flag on the flag poll. Several videos I saw had a chinese flag placed on the chain link fence. It wasn't a small one, but also not a large one that is usually put on a flag poll in front of companies. This story is too important. The videos speak for themselves.

[lobodons]

28. Romney on Chinese workers (from 47% hidden video clip)

This is the first thing I thought of when I saw the Bainport clip in this post: (taken from Romney's 47% hidden video where he talks about Chinese workers from his delusional perspective)

[Indep2992]

34. In the MSNBC interview clip, this is mentioned too

The President of the USW thinks Romney was talking about the workers at the Chinese plant who took over the American jobs that Bain outsourced before.

[Berlum]

31. k and r for America

Freaking Republicans are tearing our country down to enrich themselves

[Initech]

36. If Romney and Ryan get elected - we're screwed.

[siligut]

37. Did you research any of this?

Mitt really has no power to save their jobs.

Unfortunately, the workers are barking up the wrong tree with Romney.
Remember, this is the guy whose campaign got into a well-publicized scuffle over whether he really stopped making decisions for Bain Capital in 1999 or 2002 (for the record, it was 1999). How could he possibly open himself up to legitimate charges of influencing Bain's behavior in 2012? Even if one argues it's the right thing to do for the workers, it's not the politically feasible thing to do (and, if anything, Romney tries to be a pragmatist in such matters).

Moreover, there is little guarantee that a Romney plea would even save the jobs. Yes, he has friends and former colleagues on the Sensata board, including chairman Paul Edgerley. But they have fiduciary responsibilities to their own investors, and Sensata has made it clear that the best financial move is to shutter Freeport. In addition, Bain could have future fundraising trouble if Romney is elected president. After all, who wants to invest in a private equity firm that seems to make decisions based on a politician's best interests?
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/18/why-romney-cant-save-the-sensata-workers/

And if he did, I go back to my original statement, and that is, if he could save this plant, even delay the move for a few months so it appears he saved it, it would give his sorry ass the election.

[Indep2992]

42. Of course! The workers say the issue is not asking him to save their jobs but to spread awareness

If you watch the youtube clip, you see.

Their gripes are that he refuses to even talk to the plant workers.

Many articles have shown that he is obviously tied to Bain and has strong links to the Bain leadership, so that is nothing new.

BUT they are worried that American jobs will be outsourced, high paying skilled jobs, if Romney becomes President. THAT is the issue her. THAT is what is at stake.

[treestar]

49. It's not the issue

The issue is that's the type of company Mitt worked for. He touts his business experience. That's his experience.

[drm604]

38. Posted on FB.

[siligut]

39. The workers are asking Mitt to save them

The workers are camped out in a tent city they have named "Bainport." They are asking Mitt Romney to show that he means what he says about jobs and China by helping them keep their jobs. Right now, the Sensata workers are blocking trucks brought in to ship the equipment to China.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/blocking-bain-trucks-to-s_b_1937038.html

But Mitt really has no power to do so.

Unfortunately, the workers are barking up the wrong tree with Romney.
Remember, this is the guy whose campaign got into a well-publicized scuffle over whether he really stopped making decisions for Bain Capital in 1999 or 2002 (for the record, it was 1999). How could he possibly open himself up to legitimate charges of influencing Bain's behavior in 2012? Even if one argues it's the right thing to do for the workers, it's not the politically feasible thing to do (and, if anything, Romney tries to be a pragmatist in such matters).

Moreover, there is little guarantee that a Romney plea would even save the jobs. Yes, he has friends and former colleagues on the Sensata board, including chairman Paul Edgerley. But they have fiduciary responsibilities to their own investors, and Sensata has made it clear that the best financial move is to shutter Freeport. In addition, Bain could have future fundraising trouble if Romney is elected president. After all, who wants to invest in a private equity firm that seems to make decisions based on a politician's best interests?
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/18/why-romney-cant-save-the-sensata-workers/

[Indep2992]

43. Yeah, the workers think it'll take a miracle. But they want to spread awareness of this BECAUSE

If you watch the YouTube clip, you see.

Their gripes are that he refuses to even talk to the plant workers.

Many articles have shown that he is obviously tied to Bain and has strong links to the Bain leadership, so that is nothing new.

BUT they are worried that American jobs will be outsourced, high paying skilled jobs, if Romney becomes President. THAT is the issue her. THAT is what is at stake.

[ananda]

59. The abused are asking their abuser to save them.

Isn't that a syndrome or something?

Just so sad.

[Initech]

74. I believe the term you are looking for is Stockholm Syndrome.

[backscatter712]

115. I do believe the strategy is to make the abuser look like the douchebag he is.

Explain to me why that's not a worthy goal?

[Blanks]

73. Is it really necessary to cite the same article

With the same excerpt twice in the same thread.

[siligut]

95. Not necessary, but a bit of a courtesy

I recognize that some (you) may not appreciate repetition, but some do.

[Blanks]

105. It seems you weren't the only one doing it.

And since I'm the only one pointing it out. Perhaps I'm the one who's out of step here.

It just seemed kind of longish, but don't mind me.

[Berlum]

40. beyond the election, someone needs to stop the Republicans from destroying America's job base

Last edited Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:13 AM - Edit history (1)

[heaven05]

102. how

can we find out how many jobs, he, mittytwit is responsible for in sending to china. got to be a lot of them.

[mzmolly]

41. Welcome

welcome, welcome!

So good to have you here. Thanks for sharing this important information.

K and R!

[lumpy]

44. Bump up

n

[Guitarzz]

45. Send a copy of this to everyone you know!

[George II]

46. The worst thing about this is taking down the AMERICAN flag and replacing it with the CHINESE flag..

....right here in AMERICA! And this guy wants to run America?

[George II]

164. Uh oh, it now has come out that the American flag was removed, but not replaced by the China flag...

....sorry!!!

[brewens]

47. Why is it okay to be giving our jobs to The Peoples Republic of China? Seriously,

shouldn't that be totally repellent for baggers? Even if you can say they are moving toward a more free market based economy. European socialism is a huge boogieman for those people but their boy Robme is actively selling us out to a real communist country. We should club them over the head with that.

[upi402]

48. Media blackout on this

Get ready for the cricket storm again.

This should be on a tapeloop. Like when Howard Dean made an aggressive noise, the "Dean Scream" was 100% unimportant but got TONS of airplay.

[Indep2992]

50. REALLY?!? I disagree from reading tweets.

I saw a tweet that MSNBC was going to have workers on next week.

And Jennifer Granholm tweeted about this.

Again, such defeatism will get nobody anywhere.

Be optimistic, we are a democracy. Voices matter.

I'm again reposting this for the 3rd time:

We need to not hide behind keyboards and just talk. We need to act in order to get things moving.

(1) Complaining about coverage won't do anything. Yeah, I don't think the MSM will cover this without some push because they are probably funded by interests that fund Romney... But we should do our best to alert networks and people to this story. That I think is in our hands. They cannot ignore a story with a gazillion comments and views.

Send this information to the local Democratic HQ in your area.
Send this story to your family members and extended family members.
Call and email local TV stations.
Call and email TV stations in rural areas.
Send in tips to CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC.
Send in tips to newspapers and magazines.
Use social media to get people to notice.

That is what is in our hands - the power to spread information and awareness.

(2) This story will change the way people look at Romney. Low information voters and Independents are told constantly by the media, by the papers, by radio that Romney holds an advantage in jobs. This is not true. This story has heart. This story will destroy Romney if it gets out. It is our job, I think, to be active and get it out. I emailed so many people and called so many people and outlets. I went crazy with social media and emails. Do the same. Make a difference!

NOTE: I emailed/called people and told them about (1) the workers taking down the American flag/putting up the Chinese flag part, (2) the workers having to train the Chinese who will be taking their jobs (3) the plant will close the day before election day, and (4) Romney will profit immensely and refuses to talk to the workers. That was what will sell. Do the same.

[upi402]

53. welcome back

Or welcome to DU!

MSNBC is not the MainStream Media. It is a tiny counter-balance to the agitprop spewing out of the corporate media.

And you have no idea what I've sacrificed over the decades- fighting the corporatism we now have - even having to defend myself from my brothers and sisters here.

Keep fighting the good fight!

(IMHO; tweets don't really count, but they are public record)

[Indep2992]

56. Good to know, thanks!

Will do!

[Berlum]

61. "make viral it go" - MT

[Bluenorthwest]

63. Except for the part where it is all over Television

The story broke on TV. On a Corporate owned division of a Corporate owned major network, no less. NBC rign a bell or three? It was reported by one of the most highly compensated pundits in media today, who also covered it on his nation wide radio show. All of this was yesterday. Some media blackout that is.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

51. Romney will pretend he's never even heard of Bain

It wouldn't be a more outrageous lie than any of the others he's told.

[Indep2992]

57. HOLY CRAP: Video: Romney Campaign calls police on workers being outsourced by Bain-owned Sensata

This story has so much meat to it. This story NEEDS to go viral.

[DHelix]

58. NBC accepting debate questions. Write them about Sensata.

You can write NBC here:

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/13/14417531-what-question-would-you-ask-the-candidates-at-tuesdays-debate?lite

Apparently, they will curate any emerging trends. Make this an emerging trend. Make your question direct, pointed, and primarily about the conflict of interest in a Presidential candidate having millions of dollars and controlling interests in companies that are shipping American jobs overseas and benefitting from cheap Chinese labor?

[Berlum]

157. Excellent idea

Thank you.

[Fire Walk With Me]

60. K&R. And yes, 51&% is a controlling interest.

[flyguyjake]

64. I posted to FB, Liked & commented on YT!

[Dustlawyer]

66. K&R! I am an American so it pains me to state what has become obvious to me over the last

couple of years. That is that we are seeing the maturation of capitalism and it is none too pretty. As corporate influence has grown, mergers and acquisitions have consolidated power to fewer and fewer companies that have grown larger and larger. They write the laws, control the media, judiciary, and now they move factories to poor countries to take advantage of the desperate workers there. I can see that this trend will continue to where in 50 years or so, we will be the desperate workers that will work 7 days a week for the equivalent of 12 dollars a day. Eventually, only a handful of people/corporations will control all unless something interferes with this system. That something will not be pretty. Look to history and you can see the inevitability! The fact that we have a lying tax cheat who reveals nothing of himself or his policies, either tied or leading in the polls, for the world's most powerful position tells me we have moved way further along than I thought possible in my lifetime! Communism failed in the 80's, pure capitalism is going strong but has morphed into something very bad! Where do we go from here?

[fasttense]

156. Who was it that said you can have democracy or you can have a few people getting very rich,

but you can't have both?

[Dustlawyer]

181. Wish I knew, they seem to know what they are talking about!

[Fire Walk With Me]

67. Let this become viral and let it be the last nail in Romney's electoral coffin.

[Indep2992]

68. Trending on twitter, Reddit now! GREAT JOB!

Next step, call the TV people:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111

Also:

I will update the thread first post as well

[and-justice-for-all]

70. What assholes...

they would not let them in and take their letter...they make me sick.

[RBInMaine]

71. THIS STORY NEEDS TO GO NATIONAL MEGA VIRAL ON TV, IN PRINT, ONLINE, FACEBOOK, TWITTER.....

[riverwalker]

72. From Chris Hayes:

Christopher Hayes‏@chrislhayes

To everyone tweeting me about #sensata: we're going to be covering it next weekend, when we have a former worker from the company booked

[EmeraldCityGrl]

84. Maybe CNN could ask him about it

on the "interview" or hour long free ad time they're giving him this afternoon.

[Indep2992]

75. The workers have a website http://bainport.com/

http://bainport.com/

Go here for pictures!

[URL=http://imgur.com/ex1Tf][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

"We, Sensata workers, and the Freeport community, are now learning from the French workers on how they took over their plant and barricaded themselves in for 5 months to prevent Bain from removing the equipment. Everyone is listening attentively."

[roody]

76. This was covered on Democracy Now

weeks ago.

[Indep2992]

80. Not everyone reads Democracy Now - we need this to hit TV

HOWEVER, we are trying to get this to go viral. Not everybody reads Democracy Now, but millions watch TV - CNN, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, and many read Reddit and twitter info.

I'm new to this whole blog thing, and I've never read Democracy Now. Lol.

[roody]

81. DN is not mainstream, unfortunately. Eom

[roody]

87. Not meant to detract from your message.

Rather to praise DN. It is an excellent radio and tv program.

http://www.democracynow.org

[Indep2992]

77. Another update: Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights Report - The Dirt on China's plant

DOWNLOAD this pdf:
http://www.globallabourrights.org/admin/reports/files/1210-Bain-Capital-Pitting-American-Workers-Against-Workers-in-China-Earning-Just-99-Cents-an-Hour.pdf

Website:
http://www.globallabourrights.org/reports?id=0653

[Blanks]

78. I have an issue with the video.

Don't get me wrong; it's pretty well done, but it starts by showing Romney's statement in the first debate about tax benefits for moving jobs overseas.

It never really ties back into that. They aren't getting tax benefits for shipping the jobs overseas; the reduced wages give them more profit.

It's a good story, but the video isn't the kind of thing that I would expect to be persuasive to conservative leaning voters.

There are quite a few folks talking about how their lives were ruined by outsourcing and while I hate to see that happen; the conservatives I know could give a shit less until it happens to them.

In my experience in dealing with conservative voters; if you put that clip at the beginning of Romney in the debate and don't come back to it. That's all you'll hear about. Most won't even watch it, but they will refer to it as the 'sensata video' and say that it was refuted.

That's just my experience; so watch for it to turn out that way. I hope it does get some MSM coverage because the information is damaging to Romney, the presentation just isn't quite there IMHO.

[Indep2992]

79. Huh? The United Steelworkers union made that video

What are you talking about when you say "put that clip at the beginning of Romney in the debate and don't come back to it"? I think we are referring to a story here.
People need to be interviewed. The Bain details need to come out. The Sensata details need to come out. Romney needs to explain himself - esp regarding tax benefits to companies that outsource.
Thus, the tax details need to come out. SPECIFICS lol.

[Blanks]

90. I see.

Pass this video around and Romney will turn over his tax returns. You're kidding right. He isn't turning them over. This story isn't going to make him.

Obama is the one who made the assertion that companies get tax benefits when they outsource to china. Romney isn't going to be cornered into disproving a negative. I expect Obama has proof or he wouldn't have made the statement. If he didn't have something specific in mind; he's gonna have egg on his face.

I'm just trying to warn you. The story is good (though the other stories about companies that Bain ran into the ground didn't seem to do much damage). Don't expect there to be too much damage to Romney on this.

As far as I know Romney's never explained anything about the companies that Bain ran into the ground (and the campaign videos were more effective). Why do you think this story is any different?

It's just another story about a bunch of people who's lives were ruined. It bothers me, but the conservatives that weren't affected don't care. The people on the video were probably Romney supporters until it happened to them.

[Amonester]

85. Picture in my sigline for visibility

and it will remain there until their jobs will be secured, HOME.

[Blanks]

92. Do I have to sit at a computer?

I can't see a picture in your sigline on my iPhone.

[Amonester]

188. Sorry if I don't know anything about displaying pics in iPhones.

But it seems that it displays it on a computer screen. Everybody can grab it with a print screen shot from the video clip though (like I did) and make their own pics from the results. I don't know if it's doable from iPhones. Can you watch utube videos from iPhones? (I'm an absolute ignorant about everything Apple, sorry.)

[Blanks]

189. Yeah I can watch YouTube videos? I didn't see a link. eom

[glinda]

82. Obama needs to tell the American people WHAT KIND of jobs Mittster is

(not) talking about promising this Country. Leveling mountaintops, mining, deforestation, oil, Fracking, all of them destroying the planet, the environment and all species.
Mitt is evil.

[Amonester]

88. Picture in my sigline for visibility

and a LINK for where to send million (I hope...) emails about their tragedy to...

[Indep2992]

169. Sorry! Just saw this - Link?

Do you have a link for that picture? We should def put that up on that first post.

[Amonester]

187. I just took a screen grab before the end of the clip in the OP...

and pasted it in Paint, then I cut it out and pasted it back in a new window to save the result as a JPEG image. Then I loaded it in my photobucket album.

Everybody can save it from my sigline in my replies (on their own machines) now. No link necessary.

[Indep2992]

83. Romney Hypocrisy - He goes and talks to people in OH on China trade and jobs

And how the President isn't doing a good enough job of preventing jobs from being outsourced... And this is what he does.

Why did the media let him slide on this and other facts/hypocrisies?
We need an informed electorate, and the media should help do that, not thwart the truth.

If it were Obama, they would've pounced. Kind of ridiculous.

[Amonester]

89. The 'media' wanna "Horse Race (TM)" and they're gonna do anything to get

one. The 'media' is not our friend. The 'media' exists to maximize profits, not to denounce hypocrites.

[Blanks]

91. That's what's going on right now.

If Romney had a good lead they'd tear him down just a little. They NEED a horse race.

What would they have to cover if not the election. It's not like a football game; where if it's a blowout they can just switch to a different game.

[Indep2992]

93. TRENDING! Collect as much info as possible ASAP

Great job everyone, Senesta is seriously trending on twitter.

Gather as much info as you can guys about this before the big, Karl Rove and Koch-driven GOPs try to knock and twist the info off the web.

[Indep2992]

96. IRONY - Romney hammered Obama on China today--- in the meantime, this Sensata story blew up

HAHA

In Ohio today, Romney hammered Obama on Inaction on China Trade --- in the meantime, this Sensata story blew up on social media...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/13/romney-obama-china_n_1963944.html

[Indep2992]

97. Another video - Give Us A Break

[Indep2992]

98. Mitt gets a tax break from this apparently

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/27/mitt-romney-sensata-tax-break_n_1920396.html

[DHelix]

99. Can anybody get this story on Huff Post? The 47% video took off after Huff Post highlighted it.

Once Huffington Post broke the 47% video the other news outlets started to follow given the reaction. Mind you, the 47% story was jucier with better footage and a headline that demanded attention since it was a "secret recording" but there is legitimate red meat here for people to chew on. The key points are.

1) Romney is a 51% owner. Mainstream media has tired of Bain stories because the counter argument is often than Romney doesn't work there any more and they think the average person won't care anymore about Bain either but this is current and this particular company Romney does have a majority share in.

2) Mitt Romney has a majority share in a company that recently removed American flags while Chinese workers were brought over to learn from Americans how to replace their jobs. That sentence speaks for itself and is the crucial point and news story here.

3) These people are being laid off the day before election day. This fact adds to the political aspect of this.

4) The workers are non-union so it's not like union negotiations caused this at all. Most people assume that it's union jobs that get outsourced.

5) The workers have declared the area Bainport and there are some great photos that would make for good news imagery. Pictures are worth a thousand words and any media outlet, including Huff Post, will want some images or video. There's both available.

When writing Huffington Post about this story be sure to touch on those 5 facts. There's a current story that deserves to go national here when all 5 facts are taken into consideration.

[onecent]

101. K & R n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

104. Tweet, tweet! TWEET!

[damnedifIknow]

106. This needs attention.

Someone grab a bullhorn and stand on top of a mountain and scream this.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

107. Quit hoping for a magic silver bullet or special stake. This ain't it. The "47%" is closer.

Despite the facial resemblance and the fun photoshopping, Romney is not a vampire or a werewolf and this story, though damning, is not magic silver.

The "47 %" is as close as it comes. It was dead simple to explain: didn't really need explaining.

[lostinthemaze]

108. Are you guys dense?

Just a little digging on the subject shows clear record that Honeywell was going broke in the business, due to competition from CHINA. They either had to sell the company or close it and lay everyone off. They sold it to Sensata, who had already stated the jobs were in peril due to unfair trade competition.

Seriously. Do any of you all have business experience? The factory was closing anyway. Sensata kept it open, but it can't compete and remain in the United States under the current unfair trade/money balances we are fighting with China.

Good lord.

[Indep2992]

109. PS I will assume you are a troll (1 post?!)

Prove it. With legit links.

[Indep2992]

119. Did you read the CNN article?

"From the outset, Sensata said that it planned to move the jobs overseas at year-end 2012, since the majority of its auto-sensor business is in Asia. In fact, Sensdata didn't even buy the manufacturing facility from Honeywell. It leased it, with Honeywell expected to hang a for-sale sign when Sensata moves out in a few months.

To be sure, this is a horrible situation for the Sensata employees – the vast majority of whom have not yet found other employment (Honeywell hired just a small number of folks to work in its other Freeport facilities). After all, Sensata has never suggested that the plant was unprofitable. It simply thinks the effort would be more profitable elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the workers are barking up the wrong tree with Romney.

Remember, this is the guy whose campaign got into a well-publicized scuffle over whether he really stopped making decisions for Bain Capital in 1999 or 2002 (for the record, it was 1999). How could he possibly open himself up to legitimate charges of influencing Bain's behavior in 2012? Even if one argues it's the right thing to do for the workers, it's not the politically feasible thing to do (and, if anything, Romney tries to be a pragmatist in such matters).

Moreover, there is little guarantee that a Romney plea would even save the jobs. Yes, he has friends and former colleagues on the Sensata board, including chairman Paul Edgerley. But they have fiduciary responsibilities to their own investors, and Sensata has made it clear that the best financial move is to shutter Freeport."

[pinto]

110. Would you lay out the scenario and the available options more clearly please?

Just some context and details. Thanks.

[Indep2992]

111. ALSO - Senata was doing just fine

http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/18/why-romney-cant-save-the-sensata-workers/

Also, read this report that I had in the first post (I'm certain you didn't bother reading it the first time):
http://www.globallabourrights.org/admin/reports/files/1210-Bain-Capital-Pitting-American-Workers-Against-Workers-in-China-Earning-Just-99-Cents-an-Hour.pdf

Bain Capital was founded by Mitt Romney in 1984 as a global private investment firm. Sensata
Technologies, a Bain affiliate, was formed in April 2006 when the company purchased Texas
Instruments’ sensors and controls division for $770 million. Just four years later, by 2010, Bain’s original
investment had quadrupled to $3.2 billion, we believe largely due to outsourcing

[OneAngryDemocrat]

121. So Says the 4 Post Wonder - Honeywell's 2011 Stock Report Tells A Different Story

Fuck off, troll.

Honeywell's 2011 annual stock report made it clear that Sensata bought a profitable business that was up 13% in a fucking recession.

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9NDU4MTI3fENoaWxkSUQ9NDg1NDA1fFR5cGU9MQ==&t=1

Eat shit and die you evil right-wing fuck.

[Indep2992]

123. Everyone refer to Posts 119 and 121 which refute the troll's misguided claim

Thanks.

Can someone alert a moderator? lostinthemaze is a troll. I'm new so I don't know how to do that

[pinboy3niner]

141. MIRT took care of the troll

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=293055&sub=trans

[lostinthemaze]

125. You seem to have an issue with..

A free company selling something to another free company. Honeywell was getting out of the business. This still doesn't make sense, other than you wish to score political points.

Again, Honeywell sold the business and it was on the rocks then. Now, you wish to keep a factory open that can't compete under the current scheme of currency and trade issues.

This is idiotic.

[hrmjustin]

126. you sound like you like romney?

[OneAngryDemocrat]

129. No Trade Treaty - No Outsourcing

First, the company wasn't "viable" - but it was.

Then the company has the "right" to outsource a business - which it does not.

Hopefully the mods will see fit to oust your right-wing planted ass before you can lie another mother-fucking time.

Adios, troll.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

112. Fukc off, 1 Post Troll

I am INTIMATELY involved with what is going on in Freeport, and what you filthy, rotten, right-wing bastards always want us little 99% "takers" to forget is that you fascist pricks do NOT have an inherent right to outsource American jobs ANYWHERE.

The ability to outsource a job is a fucking GIFT...

The whole time you sick fucks are ranting and raving about how much you all Gid damned want "small government" you're all primped and primed to demand a present from government that only comes wrapped in one of the 40+ international trade treaties we've entered into, and topped with a bow that mandates low tariffs on top of all the other insults.

No fucking trade treaty - no fucking outsourcing.

Now go choke yourself you sick bastard.

[backscatter712]

114. Don't tell him to choke himself! He probably enjoys it!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

133. Go fuck yourself. How about that? nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

148. Romneyette

[Hugabear]

154. Get lost, Romney supporter.

You're rather transparent.

[cheriemedium59]

113. This story is all over twitter tonight. Get the word out!

[lostinthemaze]

120. If it were viable..

Why didn't the city/county/state governments provide a package to retain the company?

[hrmjustin]

122. Are you a democrat? are you voting for Obama??

[lostinthemaze]

127. I'm an independent.

The rule of law. Personal freedoms, individual rights. Truth.


I don't have to tell you who I'm voting for. This is a democracy, and the name of this site is Democratic Underground.

With that said. {peace}

[hrmjustin]

130. to be a member of this site you have to support Obama.

correct me anyone if i am wrong.

[Indep2992]

134. I'm an Independent...

And I 100% support Obama.

You, "my friend," are NOT an Independent.

[newspeak]

179. might I suggest a good read "the predator's ball"

how immoral business dealings in the eighties reflect what we are seeing today. of course back then it was the "junk bonds." before junk bonds, people had to invest some of their assets to acquire an interest in a company; however, michael milkin came up with junk bonds where investors didn't need to sacrifice their assets. these greedy arseholes did raids on companies that were in the black and gutted them and sold them off. and the employees of these companies, american employees, some generational-you want to know what happened to them? the eighties and reagan made it okay to be an unscrupulous selfish prick. one with no fealty to a country or its' people.

so, believing in personal freedom, did you vote for little boots? and how about that truth? iraq ring any bells? now i'm for personal freedom; but i'm also smart enough to know that without regulating business, it can become a monster that will bite us in the arse. because, after all, to a corporation, there is no conscience just profits.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

124. It Was 'Viable"...

The company was viable, and it's not up to the city/county/state government to "provide a package to retain the company" you backwards-assed right-wing SOCIALIST. Read the 2011 stock report: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9NDU4MTI3fENoaWxkSUQ9NDg1NDA1fFR5cGU9MQ==&t=1

[lostinthemaze]

128. Then why..

Then why did Honeywell sell it? Most companies don't sell profitable businesses.

[newspeak]

177. oh, you mean like what happened in SLC

and, I believe it was apple. after spending money( taxpayer's), giving the company incentive to move, they decided not to. the taxpayers were left with the bill and no jobs. aren't you rather disturbed of any old corporation having that much power over the majority of the people?

the trouble with some of these corporations is it's all about making MORE profits over the misery of others. it's called predatory capitalism.

if these new repugs are so worried about the well being of american citizens why did they refuse to pass a bill giving incentives hiring american labor and taking away perks for moving jobs overseas? it seems all they care about is their own portfolio, the shysters on WS and even more profit for their already wealthy friends. tell me, when is it "country BEFORE increased profits?"

and after they have created the environment that is now in this country (and bet on our failure after creating it-on WS), I bet you have no problem of getting rid of a much needed safety net. I mean pull yourself up by your boot straps, right?

[Indep2992]

116. To clear up how the company was doing, see PDF on first post of this thread and linked again here

Bain Capital was founded by Mitt Romney in 1984 as a global private investment firm. Sensata Technologies, a Bain affiliate, was formed in April 2006 when the company purchased Texas Instruments’ sensors and controls division for $770 million. Just four years later, by 2010, Bain’s original investment had quadrupled to $3.2 billion, we believe largely due to outsourcing.

In 2011, when Bain and Sensata executives informed the Freeport workers, somewhat cavalierly, that they would be terminated in November 2012 and went on to explain that they were temporarily leasing the factory but were purchasing the machinery and the workers’ skills to train Chinese engineers before the work was shipped to China.

In fact, Mr. Jacob Sayer — a Sensata spokesperson, said they were closing the Freeport plant in order to cut costs. Mr. Sayer went on: “If that had not been part of the strategy, then the deal would not have been so attractive.” When questioned by Paul Harris of The Guardian (August 10, 2012), the same spokesperson refused to comment, saying “We don’t have a statement on the impact it has on Freeport.”

Bain and Sensata executives did not have a lot of time to talk about the 170 workers being terminated at the Freeport plant. The executives have had more pressing issues, such as setting up 12 Sensata/Bain capital funds “organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands” so as to avoid paying taxes.

http://www.globallabourrights.org/admin/reports/files/1210-Bain-Capital-Pitting-American-Workers-Against-Workers-in-China-Earning-Just-99-Cents-an-Hour.pdf

From the outset, Sensata said that it planned to move the jobs overseas at year-end 2012, since the majority of its auto-sensor business is in Asia. In fact, Sensdata didn't even buy the manufacturing facility from Honeywell. It leased it, with Honeywell expected to hang a for-sale sign when Sensata moves out in a few months.

To be sure, this is a horrible situation for the Sensata employees – the vast majority of whom have not yet found other employment (Honeywell hired just a small number of folks to work in its other Freeport facilities). After all, Sensata has never suggested that the plant was unprofitable. It simply thinks the effort would be more profitable elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the workers are barking up the wrong tree with Romney.

Remember, this is the guy whose campaign got into a well-publicized scuffle over whether he really stopped making decisions for Bain Capital in 1999 or 2002 (for the record, it was 1999). How could he possibly open himself up to legitimate charges of influencing Bain's behavior in 2012? Even if one argues it's the right thing to do for the workers, it's not the politically feasible thing to do (and, if anything, Romney tries to be a pragmatist in such matters).

Moreover, there is little guarantee that a Romney plea would even save the jobs. Yes, he has friends and former colleagues on the Sensata board, including chairman Paul Edgerley. But they have fiduciary responsibilities to their own investors, and Sensata has made it clear that the best financial move is to shutter Freeport.

http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/18/why-romney-cant-save-the-sensata-workers/

[dkf]

135. Bain/Sensata doesn't own the plant. Sensata bought the business contingent on moving production.

Once Honeywell sold it, it was done.

The sad fact is that the workers were kept to train the Chinese. Otherwise they were done when the plant was sold. I feel bad for the employees as they did not realize what was going on. I've been through mergers before and people always hold their breath when it happens.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

155. As always,

just under the radar.

[Guitarzz]

136. New USW Video Exposes Mitt Romney’s Economy

http://www.enewspf.com/opinion/37333-new-usw-video-exposes-mitt-romneys-economy.html

[Guitarzz]

137. Sensata workers attack Romney’s profit ‘harvest’ comments

http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/10/03/sensata-workers-attack-romney%E2%80%99s-profit-%E2%80%98harvest%E2%80%99-comments/

[Guitarzz]

138. Mitt Romney Gets Tax Break Off Firm Sending Jobs To China

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/27/mitt-romney-sensata-tax-break_n_1920396.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

[Indep2992]

139. WOW

Crazy. Gahhh why is the media not covering this.

[Guitarzz]

190. Dangerous Chinese Products...

The People At Sensata Should Be Asking The Justice Department And The People At Transportation Safety To Look Into This Sale. The Sensors That Sensata Manufactures Are Used In Automobiles And Aircraft. China Has Quite A Record Of Manufacturing Dangerous And Sub-Par Consumer Goods And Counterfeit Industrial Products. Do We Want Something That Our Lives May Depend On Being Made In A Third-World Labor Camp Where The Workers Are Treated Like Slaves - Overworked And Underpaid?

Here's An Example Of What China Does.....

http://wtkr.com/2012/10/16/pirate-costumes-siezed-due-to-high-lead-levels/

[Indep2992]

140. Schilling Walks Out, Can't Take The Heat Of The Sensata Debate At Recent Town Hall Meeting (VIDEO)

http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2012/09/19/schilling-walks-out-cant-take-heat-sensata-debate-recent-town-hall-mee

[Indep2992]

142. Mitt Romney: A "Blind trust is an age-old ruse"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/13/1144087/-More-on-Bain-Moving-Sensata-to-China

[DesertRat]

143. K&R

[Indep2992]

144. Update again: from DU user freshwest

Sensata Workers Are Living Proof that Romney’s Tough Talk on China is Worthless

By: Jason EasleyOctober 13th, 2012

Mitt Romney is running around Ohio talking tough about China today, but one place he won’t go near is Freeport, IL where the Bain owned Sensata Technologies is sending 170 jobs to China.

During campaign stops in Ohio today, Romney said, “It’s time for us to stand up to China for their cheating. It’s got to stop. We’ve got to get those jobs back and make trade to be fair.”

In a statement, Obama campaign spokesman Danny Kanner responded to Romney’s tough talk, “Mitt Romney’s talking tough, but his record and his policies show he’s anything but when it comes to China. Mitt Romney called the President’s aggressive action on behalf of American tire workers ‘decidedly bad for the nation.’ As a corporate buyout specialist, he invested in companies that were pioneers in outsourcing to low-wage countries like China. And now, while President Obama would close tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping American jobs overseas, Mitt Romney’s tax plan could create 800,000 jobs outside of America. That’s not a candidate who would be tough on China as president – that’s a candidate who thinks sounding tough will win him votes...”

[URL=http://imgur.com/Askzz][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

http://www.politicususa.com/sensata-workers-living-proof-romneys-tough-talk-china-worthless.html

[Indep2992]

145. More videos from workers

Cheryl

Bonnie

[Indep2992]

146. The Guardian covered this in August

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/aug/10/illinois-workers-bain-outsourcing

[Firebrand Gary]

147. Kicked and recommended.

[Indep2992]

149. UPDATE: New Video: Sensata Workers Respond to Leaked Video on Bain/Romney Business Model (47%)

Sensata Workers Respond to Leaked Video On Bain/Romney Business Model

[Indep2992]

151. AMAZING Rolling Stone article

Rolling Stone: "Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital
How the GOP presidential candidate and his private equity firm staged an epic wealth grab, destroyed jobs – and stuck others with the bill"
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829

[Indep2992]

152. NEWS ARTICLE TODAY IN INQUISITR: "Sensata Technologies: Scandal Could Be Brewing Fo

http://www.inquisitr.com/362821/sensata-technologies-scandal-could-be-brewing-for-mitt-romney/

We got the story out! GREAT JOB!

[Indep2992]

153. And... the GOP begins its spin! DailyKos has facts.

Here are the facts:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144360/-As-Story-Grows-GOP-Spin-Begins-5-Facts-About-Sensata

Keep in mind that this is linked to the 47% video obviously.

[Jim__]

160. I hope so!

[Sedona]

161. Here's the email address to send town hall debate questions

NBC will curate your responses and decipher any emerging trends


here's the email address

[e-mail]

here's what I said under subject line

Sensata jobs sent to China?

Please ask BOTH CANDIDATES to discuss the conflict of interest in a Presidential candidate having HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars in foreign bank accounts and controlling interests in companies that are shipping American jobs overseas and benefiting from cheap Chinese labor?

sent from all four of my e mail accounts

[Doctor_J]

162. How is this different from his tax evasion?

Or his terrorism of a gay classmate? Or his accepting a government bailout? Or his chickenhawking? Or his job destruction?

No one is going to pick this up. You can't fight Big Media.

[Wednesdays]

163. K & R

[Indep2992]

165. Mother Jones: Romney's Stake in Chinese Stocks

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/romney-china-stock-investments

[WillyT]

166. K & R !!!

[ip5683]

167. Timeliness

This has been out there for a while. Why isn't it having more of an effect?

[theglammistress]

174. Because the media is corporate owned

And because none of us pushed it hard enough. And now we are.

Numbers matter. When the drumbeat gets loud enough, the M$M has to pay attention.

[SalviaBlue]

168. K&R

[Oilwellian]

171. This thread has inspired me to make a video highlighting this issue

Thanks for all of the info that would take me hours to gather. While researching, I came across this video that Sheldon Adelson financed for Gingrich to use against Romney during the primary. Ironically, Sheldon Adelson is now Romney's biggest campaign contributor. These silly republicans...

[Indep2992]

172. Another DailyKos Update

Recap: dailykos has these articles out - READ:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144360/-As-Story-Grows-GOP-Spin-Begins-5-Facts-About-Sensata

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144475/-Jake-Tapper-Calls-Out-Romney-s-Conflict-of-Interest-in-China

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144354/-STORY-Romney-Founded-Bain-Bain-Is-Still-Bain-On-11-5-12-Bain-Is-Selling-US-Jobs-To-China

[Indep2992]

173. UPDATE: Today's livestream interview with the Sensata workers

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/26152391#utm_campaign=t.co&utm_source=26152391&utm_medium=social

[Indep2992]

175. What do these legal articles/links mean? I'm no lawyer? HELP? Do they relate to Sensata? Or not?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/109656055/5th-Amended-Complaint-Kirk-Dahl-v-Bain-Capital-Partners

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-10/investors-claim-kkr-told-equity-firms-not-to-bid-for-hca

[Indep2992]

176. Clarification of Flag by Bainport.com...

There seems to be some confusion about whether or not our Sensata plant took down our American flag and replaced it with the Chinese flag. Here is the truth. Sensata took down our American flag on the day they flew in our Chinese replacements that we were forced to train. They put our American flag back up after the Chinese workers left. They never flew the Chinese flag.

http://bainport.com/post/33539176657/setting-the-record-straight-on-the-chinese-flag

[titaniumsalute]

178. Kick this to the TOP!!

[Indep2992]

180. Updated: GOP Spinning this through FOX News

GOP knows about this - Spinning today from FOX News:
http://nation.foxnews.com/obama/2012/10/14/obama-owns-shares-sensata-personally-benefits-outsourcing-jobs-china

BUT...

From the NYT article:

For many sophisticated and wealthy investors, as well as for ordinary workers invested in pension funds, China is a part of any diversified investment strategy. President Obama, a former Illinois state senator, has as much as $100,000 in a state retirement plan that contains shares of Sensata Technologies, the same auto parts company controlled by Bain that is closing its Illinois factory.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/us/politics/as-romney-repeats-trade-message-bain-maintains-china-ties.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

This merely means that the state of Illinois has a partly-private retirement plan for its elected officials. As part of its shared investments for all of the employees eligible under the state retirement system holds shares of Sensata. This has nothing specific to do with President Obama, other than that he once held a job which contributed to the state retirement system.

Why again this story matters:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/14/1144354/-STORY-Romney-Founded-Bain-Bain-Is-Still-Bain-On-11-5-12-Bain-Is-Selling-US-Jobs-To-China

[ChangeUp106]

182. Tweets

Just sent out a few tweets with #Sensata in them. Keep it going. Get it trending. Of all the stories, this could really be the one to take down Mitt and the companies like Bain who do this.

[Window]

183. Excellent compilation!

Spreading far and wide!

[Capn Sunshine]

184. Despite ALL this evidence, when I mentioned this at a party last night

the loyal republicans that are my friends immediately piped up "He doesn't own Bain Capital any more" Case (and mind) closed.

That's the extent of knowledge the low-info voters run with.
No amount of my divulging these facts would get by that.

More than ever our target is the involved swing voter.

[Berlum]

186. Denial of reponsibility is a typical Republcan stance

Romney established the "Republican Values" mindset at Bain.

That degraded set of values is what is driving the company today.

Romney and the Republicans own this traitorous shit, even if they have found a way to weasel out of 'legal' responsibility.

[KamaAina]

185. Of course the Illinois state retirement plan owns shares of Sensata.

It is (or was), after all, an Illinois company. That's what public investment like that should do: create jobs in the state, county or whatever they serve. It isn't their fault, much less Obama's, that Bain ruined it for them.

But you just KNOW Rmoney will throw that back in O's face when (and if) he brings it up.

[mstinamotorcity2]

191. Not unless we can draw

more attention. Republicans won't believe facts unless they have nothing else!!!!!This story must be covered like a blanket. If you want it to get good traction, e-mail all news programs for more information on Sensata. Keep asking for more information and details. If enough people ask they will bring more attention to it. Must go to all News networks ans ask them for information.

[Quantess]

192. Kick!