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00:00DRIVING HIS SUPPORT. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT MR. ROSS WOULD BE THE NOMINEE FOR THE COMMERCE SECRETARY, YOU HAVE PUT OUT A STATEMENT SAYING THE INDUSTRY IS SMALLER BUT MORE EFFICIENT THAN EVER. THAT OUR MEMBERS ARE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE ON THE PLANET P ARE YOUR UNION NEGOTIATED A CONTRACT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL STEEL GROUP. TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE. >> AT THE TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY, 2001, 2002, 2 THOUSAND THREE, THE DOMESTIC STEEL INDUSTRY WAS IN COMPLETE CRISIS BECAUSE OF THE FLOOD OF IMPORTS FROM CHINA, BRAZIL, AND RUSSIA. WE HAD 40 BANKRUPTCIES. TWO MAJOR STEEL INDUSTRIES AND WE WERE NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME FINDING SOMEONE TO HELP US SAVE THOSE COMPANIES. WILBUR WAS INTERESTED. HELP US AND HIM ACQUIRE THOSE COUNTRIES. HE WORKED CLOSELY WITH US AND SAID TO DIRECTORS, YOU DO HOW TO MAKE STEEL. TELL ME HOW TO GET THE PLAY STARTED AGAIN. THEY HAD PLANNED TO CLOSE THE STEEL MILLS IN CLEVELAND, WHICH WOULD HAVE REALLY DESTROYED THE MILLS. WE PUT THE MILLS BACK IN PLACE AND ALMOST 15 YEARS LATER, WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WORKING IN THOSE STEEL MILLS PARTICULARLY IN THOSE PLACES. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE WORKING AND WILBUR WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HELPED PULL THAT OFF. I RESPECT HIM A LOT AND DURING THE TIME, HE OFTEN ARTICULATED HIS STRONG CONCERN TO MAINTAIN STRONG MANUFACTURING IN AMERICA AND NEW THAT MANUFACTURING WAS THE KEY TO FAMILIES SUPPORTING JOBS. JOE: I WANT TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE ADMINISTRATION AS A WHOLE, AFTER THE DEAL TO SAVE SOME JOBS, DONALD FROM FIRED OFF A TWEET BLESSING THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STEELWORKERS 1999. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OVERALL BETWEEN YOUR UNION AND THIS ADMINISTRATION? DO YOU SEE IT AS HOSTILE? >> I DON'T. MEDICAID, VOTING RIGHTS, PROBABLY NOT ON THE NAME PAGE. REPEALING AND REPLACING NAFTA, WITH CHINA, HAVING A STRONG AND LONG-TERM INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, THOSE THINGS WE WERE FIGHTING FOR FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS. IF THAT IS WHAT PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP PLUS HIS AGENDA IS, WE WILL HELP WITH THAT AGENDA. WE WILL HELP HIM ACCOMPLISH IT. SCARLET: WHAT KINDS OF OVERTURES HAS ANYONE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION MADE YOU AND YOUR UNION? >> I HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH WILBUR OBVIOUSLY. WE KNOW PETER VERY WELL. BOB IS GOING TO BE SOMEONE WHO I HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR. PETER NAVARRO HAS DONE A MOVIE AND A BOOK CALLED DEATH BY CHINA. THOSE ARE PEOPLE WE KNOW THAT SHARE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE STRONG MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIAL BASE. I GET TIRED AND ANNOYED WHEN PEOPLE CALL THIS THE BELT. YOU WILL FIND AN OPERATOR AND A STEEL MILL HAS THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX YEARS OF TRAINING. WE WILL WORK WITH THEM TO MAINTAIN AND GROW THEM. JOE: IN YOUR VISION, WHAT WOULD BE THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT WE WOULD HAVE NOW AND WHAT THE IDEAL REPLACEMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE? >> LET ME GIVE YOU SOME STATISTICS. SINCE THE PASSAGE OF NAFTA, WE HAVE ACCUMULATED THE TRADE DEFICIT WITH NAFTA. WE HAVE ACCUMULATED A TRADE DEFICIT OF ALMOST $1 TRILLION. WITH THE TRADE DEAL WITH SOUTH KOREA, AGAIN IN A SHORT TIME, A TRADE DEFICIT OF 162 BILLION DOLLARS. WHY DOES NO OTHER NATION WANT ONE IF IT IS SO GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY? WE'RE NOT AGAINST TRADE. WE ARE FOR A BALANCED TRADE. IF WE USED CARRIER AS AN EXAMPLE, THE ONLY REASON IT WANTED TO MOVE FROM INDIANA TO MEXICO IS THEY COULD PAY WORKERS A TOTAL OF SIX DOLLARS PER HOUR. I THINK THE PRESIDENT-ELECT HAS THE RIGHT IDEA. IF YOU WILL MANUFACTURE FURNACES IN INDIANA, MOVE IT TO MEXICO. MEXICANS DO NOT NEED FURNACES, THEN SELL THOSE IN AMERICA. YOU SHOULD PAY A HEAVY TAX FOR LEAVING AND TRYING TO CUT BACK. SCARLET: I'M GLAD YOU BRING UP THE TRADE DEFICIT. I WONDER HOW CONFIDENT YOU ARE IN INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING WRECKAGE WILL BE PASSED HERE ESPECIALLY AS MITCH MCCONNELL HAS WARNED AGAINST A DEBT INCREASE THAT WOULD COME THROUGH SUCH A PLAN. >> AT SOME POINT, MITCH MCCONNELL AND PAUL RYAN HAVE TO COME TO THEIR SENSES. THEY NEED TO GET OUT OF THEIR BUBBLE AND TRAVEL ACROSS AMERICA. WE LOSE MORE ENERGY ON THE GRID THAN WE CAN IMAGINE. WE HAVE GOT DOZENS OF BRIDGES THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE WITH TRANSPORT TRUCKS. I WAS ANNOYED THAT PAUL RYAN OPPOSE THE DOMESTIC CONTENT PROVISION BECAUSE HE HAD SMALL MANUFACTURING IN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. IT IS IMPORTANT WE STAND TO FIGHT AND HELPED THE PRESIDENT-ELECT TO GET A STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, THAT WE FIND A WAY TO FUND IT AND ESTABLISH AN EMBER STRUCTURE BANK VERY MUCH LIKE IN EUROPE WHERE THE BANK IS CONTINUING TO INVEST IN EUROPEAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND MODERNIZING IT. I AM PREPARED FOR THAT DEBATE .

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Steelworkers Chief Gerard on Support for Wilbur Ross

United Steelworkers International President Leo Gerard discusses why steelworkers support the nomination of WL Ross & Co. Chairman Wilber Ross as Commerce Secretary. Gerard speaks on "What'd You Miss?" (Source: Bloomberg)

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