Today is Manufacturing Day 2018, a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers in America. Across the country, manufacturers are opening their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders to showcase the high-paying, high-tech career opportunities that are available to those who seek them out. Manufacturing Day is also a reminder of the importance of defending against threats to the jobs that provide livelihoods for millions of Americans today and will provide for millions more in the future.
Defending those jobs is exactly why the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project is fighting back against baseless public nuisance lawsuits being brought by local and state governments against manufacturers. The trial attorneys and public officials driving these lawsuits claim their efforts are about protecting the environment but the courts are not the proper venue to address this issue. The plaintiffs in these cases should instead work with manufacturers to advance innovative technologies and reduce emissions, not waste their time on publicity stunts in the courtroom.
Manufacturers across the country are taking important steps to reduce their environmental footprint. In fact, when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, manufacturers have reduced their emissions by 10 percent while increasing their overall value to the economy by 19 percent over the last decade.
Pushing back against these baseless lawsuits only becomes more important when one considers the significant contributions manufacturing makes to our economy and society. Today, the manufacturing sector employs almost 13 million people. Further, the average manufacturer earned $84,832 annually in 2017, a salary that is well above the national average. Additionally, manufacturers contribute more than $2.3 trillion to the U.S. economy.
As we celebrate the future of the manufacturing industry, it is crucial that we continue to denounce these misguided legal attacks against manufacturers in America and continue to fight on behalf of them.