Trump, Reynolds’ rhetoric failed to match reality at Waukee visit.

Today, as Governor Reynolds and Ivanka Trump were trying to white wash their records on workforce development and education, Iowa Democrats were speaking up for the working families left behind by the Reynolds and Trump Administrations.

WATCH VIDEO: Kim Reynolds, Ivanka Trump held accountable in Iowa

As expected, it is clear that Kim Reynolds and Ivanka Trump’s rhetoric did not match the reality of their records during their visit today. Ivanka Trump claims to support American workforce development, but her own business practices undermine domestic workers and exploit workers overseas. Kim Reynolds, on the other hand, is content with giving away millions of dollars to companies like Rockwell Collins that outsource Iowa jobs and brags about stripping Iowa workers’ of their rights.

“The irony of Governor Reynolds and Ivanka Trump parading around, claiming to care about our workforce cannot be overstated,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price.

“Ivanka Trump is part of the most corrupt Presidential administration in history that sells the American people to the highest bidder, while her shoe line has outsourced production to factories in China notorious for labor violations. Governor Reynolds, on the other hand, brags about her role in stripping Iowa workers of their collective bargaining rights and access to workers’ compensation.”

BACKGROUND

Two Days After Ivanka Trump Attended A White House Meeting With Trump On “Tough Polices” To Bring “Our Jobs Back”, More Than 5,000 Ivanka Trump Branded Blouses Arrived In Newark From Overseas. “Late last month, Ivanka sat in on a White House meeting where her father discussed ‘tough policies’ to bring ‘our jobs back’. ‘Everything is going to be based on bringing our jobs back,’ the president said, as he addressed a group of manufacturing moguls from a dozen American firms. Following the meeting, a spokesperson for the Ivanka Trump brand told AFP the company has ‘consistently expressed that we share industry leaders’ interest in bringing more manufacturing opportunities to the US and are looking forward to being a part of the conversation’. Just not yet: two days later, more than 5,000 Ivanka Trump polyester blouses arrived in Newark, New Jersey.” [Agence France Presse, 3/12/17]

An Indonesian Sewing Operator, Who Said She Had Made Ivanka Trump-Branded Dresses, Said That “My Monthly Salary Is Not Enough For Everyday Expenses, Also Not For The Future.” “The Post used data drawn from U.S. customs logs and international shipping records to trace Trump-branded products from far-flung factories to ports around the United States. The Post also interviewed workers at three garment factories that have made Trump products who said their jobs often come with exhausting hours, subsistence pay and insults from supervisors if they don’t work fast enough.  ‘My monthly salary is not enough for everyday expenses, also not for the future,’ said a 26-year-old sewing operator in Subang, Indonesia, who said she has helped make Trump dresses.” [Washington Post, 7/14/17]

China Labor Watch: At One Chinese Factory Manufacturing Ivanka Trump Goods, Workers Are Paid By The Number Of Pieces Made, With Staff Required To Work Overtime If Quotas Aren’t Met. “At one Chinese factory that produces Ivanka Trump-branded goods, workers are paid according to the number of pieces they make, said Li Qiang, founder of New York-based China Labor Watch. The staff must work overtime to reach the target with no extra pay if the quota isn’t met, according to Li, whose group probed the two facilities between May 2016 and April 2017. Some workers get the equivalent of less than $1 per hour, he said.” [Bloomberg, 5/17/17]

In February 2017, Reynolds Said She was “Excited” About the New Collective Bargaining Law. According to the Des Moines Register, “Also expressing support for the measure Friday was Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who will succeed Branstad as governor. ‘I’m excited about the long overdue reforms that have been put in place today,’ Reynolds said. ‘My experience as county treasurer for 13 years gave me a firsthand look at how out of balance the system had become. Finally, Iowa taxpayers have a seat at the table and local governments are empowered to make decisions in the best interests of their communities and schools. These changes will improve our educational system by giving local districts the ability to recruit and retain the best teachers in every classroom across the state.’” [Des Moines Register, 2/18/17]

CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE: Rockwell Collins claimed one-fifth of Iowa’s R&D tax credits last year
“Rockwell Collins claimed more than $13.9 million in the Research Activities Credit last year, making it the largest claimant of a state incentive that awards companies for conducting research in Iowa.

There were about $66.1 million worth of claims for the credit in 2017, meaning Rockwell claimed 21 percent of all of the R&D tax credits last year.”

BUSINESS RECORD: Outsourcing to eliminate 105 jobs at Rockwell Collins
“Rockwell Collins plans to outsource manufacturing of mechanical assemblies for its products now performed in Cedar Rapids, a move that will eliminate 105 mostly union jobs.”