MARTINS FERRY — Union leaders say they fear for the futures of their members and the state of the world, and that organized labor is going to have to step up to press government to assure Americans have the federal health care and retirement assistance they deserve.

Rick Altman, International At Large Vice President for the United Mine Workers of America, and John Saunders, District 1 staff representative for the United Steelworkers gave their thoughts as they awaited the arrival of former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz at the USW union hall in Martins Ferry on Monday.

Altman spoke of the tariffs and policies being imposed by President Donald Trump.

“The state of the country is in dire straits,” Altman said. “I think when you take a chainsaw into surgery, you get what you get.

“Metaphorically speaking, the guts of this country are splattered all over the place.”

Saunders agreed the world as a whole “is in turmoil”

“It’s in turmoil because this administration has looked at our friends and our allies, and ruined relationships that were important for our country,” he explained.

Saunders said a lot is said about the “1%” with all the wealth who cause a detrimental effect on the economy, but he disagrees with this as he knows many influential people who give back to society.

He noted it is more like “a half–percent” who are going to benefit from Trump’s policies.

“We have to fight for the people who can’t fight for themselves — the people on Medicare, on Medicaid, on food stamps,” Saunders said. “Those basic cuts take away rights we have morally provided for years in America because it was morally right. They are now getting cut.

“Instead, a bigger percentage of people — who are probably not paying many taxes anyway — are going to get a bigger rebate. It’s a chosen few versus everybody else.”

The Trump administration, in Saunders’ mind, plans to walk away from the history of this country of providing for the needs of its people, including immunizations for children. Meanwhile, he added, organized labor has to fight for such matters as education and health services for all Americans.

“There is nothing more important than to stand up and fight for those who don’t have the resources to do that,” Saunders said.

What has changed in recent years, Altman believes that the idea of political isolationism is gone, and America must adjust to a world–wide economy, according to Altman.

“You take our friends in Canada and China. (Trump) wants to punch these people for no reason. That’s an atrocity,” Altman said. “It makes us look bad as American citizens. In some ways, I’m embarrassed.

“We are truly going to be left alone and isolated from the rest of the world. China is going to make new friends, and they are going to get into our market. And when they get into our market, we’re not going to be able to take it back. It’s going to take years.”

As for the Trump administration bringing back jobs to America, Altman said he heard that promise eight years ago and it hasn’t rung true.

“In the Youngstown area, those jobs never did come back,” he continued. “Jobs don’t really come back, and tariffs aren’t going to bring jobs back.”

Altman’s biggest fear is that Trump will take actions that negatively affect Social Security or Medicare for Americans’ children and grandchildren. He predicts it would then take at least a generation for the programs to resume operational levels.

“The world is sad, and the country is sad. But we have helped to make the world the way it is by the current administration,” he said. “This is what the seniors have to look forward to.

“Some of this is what is keeping people alive, and they are going to die (without their medication and health care),” Altman added.