Protest blames free trade for Hathaway shutdown Rally part of tour of dying manufacturing sites

WATERVILLE – Free-trade agreements and corporate greed were blamed for the closing of the C.F. Hathaway Co. shirt factory during a rally at the central Maine plant.

The AFL-CIO organized Saturday’s rally as part of a tour of dying manufacturing sites in Maine. Production had ceased a day earlier at Hathaway, the nation’s last major shirt manufacturing plant.

Later Saturday, the protest made its way to Portland’s Monument Square, where about 100 people heard similar speeches criticizing the nation’s trade policy.

Stops earlier in the week included Millinocket and Sherman Station.

In Waterville, a hand-lettered wooden sign in the shape of a gravestone placed in front of the offices of the defunct Hathaway was not meant to be a Halloween decoration. “Here lies Hathaway, murdered by greed and NAFTA,” it said.

Veronica Vince, who worked at Hathaway for 18 years, said trade agreements negotiated by the nation’s leaders have led to a collapse of America’s manufacturing jobs.

“Instead of worrying about everybody else, they need to start worrying about us,” Vince said angrily to loud applause. “We’re going to turn into a Third World country if they don’t wake up and smell the coffee.”

Many at the rally blamed NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1994. Since Hathaway’s future began to unravel earlier this year, overseas competition has been blamed for most of the company’s misfortunes.

National labor organizations are still fighting to reverse the removal of trade barriers that once slowed the flood of imported goods into the country.

Hathaway’s owner, Windsong Allegiance Apparel Group of Westport, Conn., said in March it would shut Hathaway down after owning it for less than six months. Windsong said Hathaway could not get enough orders because overseas factories were willing to produce shirts much more cheaply.

Saturday’s rally took on a political tone as union members endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Chellie Pingree and 2nd District congressional candidate Michael Michaud, both Democrats, as advocates for laborers.

Pingree is challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Michaud faces Republican Kevin Raye.