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sure, if you want to see GM, Ford, and Chrysler fail, encourage all union growth by all means. From plastic fasteners to metal rivets. Have at it.
It's what got us to where we are and the unions pointing fingers at other guys for moving jobs offshore. Even in their death throes, the unions never realized they were their own worst enemy. As the other writer points out, they won the battle and lost the war.
Now, it's too late. Case in point. In 1990, 6.2 cars out of 10 rolling down the American roads was a GM product. Today, 24 years later? Less than 21%. 2.1 out of 10. That's not a trend. That's a tradition.
They turned their companies into pension companies that make cars part-time. It failed. Miserably. I only buy Toyotas and have been doing so FAITHFULLY since 1992. I won't go back. They are unfortunately assembled here but, the parts are made overseas. That's where the wealth is, the conversion of the raw materials. The robots and folks who work on the robots do the rest....I can live with that.
GM, Ford, and Chrysler killed themselves. No one else did it for them and I doubt anyone would bail them out again. It's put up or shut up this time and the problems keep coming off their lines with the massive recalls we have seen as of late. They just can't make quality a top priority. Charge $500 more per unit but, for god's sake, make it last as long as a Toyota....oh wait, that's not what they do.
It depends on what you mean by "stronger." Also, it's interesting that you're including public sector unions, which will continue to grow as public sector jobs increase. That will happen as those jobs continue to grow, especially with programs such as those that "forgive" student loan debt after a certain number of years' public employment. Many will never leave those jobs once they realize how generous the pensions are. In other words, prepare for public sector unions to expand their influence.
As for the private sector, it's pretty much "adios." We don't manufacture much here anymore and, where we do, unions aren't needed. They've pretty much been relegated to the service industries...which is another reason the union honchos are licking their chops over the prospect of representing Walmart employees.
I certainly hope labor organizes in some form.
It is not good for America for a few to siphon off and not give back.
I do not see a return to the powerful unions of the 50's but, collective bargaining is being forced upon us because companies like walmart will only pay the absolute minimum they have to. The only way to sustain a working class is to demand higher wages and we all know the middle class drives the economy.
I certainly hope labor organizes in some form.
It is not good for America for a few to siphon off and not give back.
I do not see a return to the powerful unions of the 50's but, collective bargaining is being forced upon us because companies like walmart will only pay the absolute minimum they have to.
Union retailers don't necessarily pay more.
Here in Pittsburgh, our unionized supermarket chain, Giant Eagle, pays less than their non-union competition Aldi, Walmart, Bottom Dollar, Trader Joe's.
30 years ago, I worked briefly for another local, unionized grocery store here, earned 15 cents more than the minimum wage, had to pay $5 a week to the union, net was less than minimum wage with no union.
Demanding higher wages is what caused corporations to leave America.
.
Corporations left America to increase profit margin. Union wages were labeled as the prime reason.
If you look at CEO compensation it paints a different picture. They've continued to take so much there was none left for the workers.
It's all perfectly legal, just like it's perfectly legal to boycott those same stores/companies.
I prefer to always buy from companies that pay a decent wage. I think those are the ones that are GOOD for America.
All walmart, and those like it, did is empower China.
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