Sure, finding American made and union-made products requires a little more effort than it did, say, 50 years ago when the vast majority of products were produced in the US and by union labor.  

However, what most people don’t realize is that the little bit of effort is in fact very little. Thanks to the internet, Google, and some great websites, it’s become easier than ever to find great American and union-made products.

One great example is the Labor 411 directory at www.labor411.org. It has over 4,700 American and union products and services listed in easy-to-browse categories. And it includes the name of the union, and local number when available, so that you can know who made the goods.

The website also includes excellent guides and product spotlights as well from holiday gift ideas to great recipes to specialty union food and beverage suggestions.
Another great resource to consult is the unions themselves. Below are a few examples of union pages that we love. They provide detailed information on union-made products and services so that you can make smart purchasing decisions.

UNITE HERE! Hotel Guide: This page provides the definitive union hotel directory, so that you can sleep better knowing that your dollars are going to support good union hotel jobs.

UAW Union Vehicles List: If you’re looking to buy a car, make sure to check out this UAW list of cars made by union members.

UNITE HERE! New England Joint Board: This is a great resource for finding quality – and great looking – American and union-made clothing, brought to us by hardworking members in New England.

Nothing could not be further from the truth.

When you think of Miller Lite, Budweiser, Entenmann’s, Milkbone dog biscuits, and Ford Focus, do you think “expensive?”
Of course not.

There are thousands of affordable and competitively priced American and union-made products out there.
Sure, you’ll sometimes save a little by buying foreign, sweatshop-made items.
But is it worth it?

We believe the answer is a strong no. The savings are often trivial compared to the fact that buying non-American, non-union supports unconscionably greedy companies who have turned their backs on the American worker and the American economy.

Myth #3: “It doesn’t matter whether or not I buy American and union-made”
Each time we purchase a product, we are voting with our wallets. Those companies who receive our hard-earned dollars, flourish. While those who don’t, go bankrupt. Without consumer purchases, companies simply cannot exist.

When we buy American and union-made, we are supporting companies who provide good middle class jobs at home. We are voting for them to grow, while not supporting companies who exploit cheap, non-union labor overseas – often paying them a horrible wage with no benefits.

And spending our dollars here at home also helps to grow the local economy because companies in the U.S. spend money locally and their employees spend money locally. When we buy products from companies overseas, the economic activity goes overseas too.
— Sahid Fawaz, Labor 411 Social Media Director

What are some excuses you hear from people who don’t buy American or union-made? We would love to hear about them in the comments section below!