Sensata outsourcing rattles Illinois community: 'Jobs need to stay here'

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SensataWorkers residents have held protests to prevent vehicles shipping parts destined for China from Bain-owned company.

At the age of 86 retired plumber Paul Holz has just been arrested for the first time in his long life. Clutching an American flag, the elderly resident of Freeport, Illinois, was handcuffed by police outside a Sensata car parts plant which is shipping jobs to China and has become a national symbol for the outsourcing of American manufacturing jobs abroad.

"I am totally against outsourcing work from America. Jobs need to stay here, so I decided to go down and join the protests," he explained.

That decision ended in a trip to the local police station and a mugshot for the lifelong union supporter.

But Holz is far from alone. Workers, ex-workers and local residents have set up an encampment outside the gate. They have held protests, tried to deliver petitions and sought to prevent vehicles shipping out plant parts destined for China from leaving the site.

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