How Etch A Sketch Outsourced Manufacturing To China, Hundreds Of Ohio Workers Lost Jobs

Mitt Romney came under fire today for an adviser comparing his campaign's ability to remake itself to an Etch A Sketch. But in Bryan, Ohio, Etch A Sketch is a symbol of the ravages of free trade, a central subject of the presidential campaign. The company exported production to China in 2000 to save money, laying off hundreds of workers at the Ohio Art Company, the manufacturer of the toy. The University of California Berkley uses Etch A Sketch as an exampleof the devastating effect of outsourcing and the New York Times ran a 2003 expose on the inhumane conditions at the factory where the Etch A Sketches were made near Shenzhen. Here's Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown railing against the move.