Economic Conversation: Converting Tanks in Indiana

[Excerpt] Since the summer of 1984, the Calumet Project for Industrial Jobs has been involved in a public campaign to save the Blaw-Knox plant in the Calumet steel region of Northwest Indiana. The process of organizing the campaign for conversion of the plant has been both difficult and challenging. There is precious little American experience to draw on for such an effort, and when the campaign, to its credit, attracted support from a broad range of concerned parties, it was hard to keep labor and community interests in the forefront. Based on our trials and errors, we would like to offer some practical insights for the benefit of others who may become involved in similar campaigns. We highly recommend union and community involvement in such efforts. If working people and community groups are to gain power in saving manufacturing jobs and developing this country's future industrial policy we need to seize every opportunity for involving ourselves in local economic development decision-making.Issue_7______Article_10.pdf: 775 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020