Workers at Target in Valley Stream want to unionized? (credit, home)

[nancy thereader]

I am surprised to hear this about Target employees. I have always had great experiences there. No one has ever been rude to me.

[lubby]

costco is union and a great place to work, my brother in law works for them, raised 3 kids and has been there 20 years. So they must be doing something right. He has great benefits plus there is room for advancement in the co.

[nancy thereader]

Costco workers are nice also. Very informed & knowledgeable about their products.

[lubby]

I may be working there soon. I have been unemployed 1 year now. Just had an interview with them. we will see.

[Interlude]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

What goods have declined in quality? Another comment from someone who believes american made goods equal quality. Took the japs to grind it into the faces of lazy american union sheeple what quality is all about.

There's no inherent quality difference based on country of origin; there are varying producers and thus varying quality available no matter where you manufacture. My point is that these jobs have already been outsourced, so companies that are trying to cut costs no longer have that option. The next step is to reduce quality. Go read this article on Businessweek:

When Gap (GPS) was forced to slash its 2011 profit forecast by 22 percent on May 19, Chief Executive Officer Glenn Murphy blamed soaring cotton and labor costs. Retailers from Target (TGT) to Family Dollar Stores (FDO) have cited similar margin-squeezing pressures. All of this came as a shock to apparel company executives, many of whom have experienced only stable or falling costs for the past 20 years.

Retailers realize that they don't have much pricing power with budget-conscious consumers these days. That's why apparel makers are turning to "deconstruction" experts like Peter Brown, who shows clients how to tear garments apart and put them back together with cheaper and fewer materials. Companies are loath to talk about their cost-cutting for fear of damaging relationships with consumers. "They're working through this minefield," says Brown, who is the vice-chairman of retail consulting firm Kurt Salmon and says he works with most of the big clothing makers and sellers.

Brown is currently working with garment makers that will ship to stores in July 2012. (He declines to identify his clients.) There's a fair amount of nipping and tucking to be done, he says, because Kurt Salmon anticipates costs surging as much as 15 percent in the second half of this year.

Let me ask you something though since you apparently blame the decline of American manufacturing on unions - nearly half of US states are "right-to-work". How come those jobs haven't come back now that unions aren't an issue? How come those states include nearly all of the poorest states in the country? They should be a manufacturing paradise!

Or perhaps since manufacturers are now trying to save $0.25 per garment, paying even the US minimum wage is too much. Why bother when you can exploit developing economies?

[Gpsma]

You know most of the right-to-work states never had a manufacturing base and there was no point in building new plants in those states when you could get quality manufacturing done overseas for much less.

You can't seriously believe that unions are not to blame for american industry closing its doors. Of course, we can also add in intrusive government regulations to that mix and the witch's brew of costly unions, costly taxes and regulations killed american manufacturing.

[GreenScoutII]

Originally Posted by woody516

That's kinda like hoping that China doesn't end it's institutionalized human rights abuses so that we can continue to purchase their goods cheaply.

I'd rather pay a little extra at Target and get cashiers who make a livable wage and get decent health benefits. Maybe then they'd have individuals of a higher calibre taking those jobs and valuing them enough to treat me, the customer, with a little more courtesy and care. My big beef these days, is that corporations pay workers at many retail and food outlets so little that the workers don't care about losing those jobs; subsequently, we have to deal with no eye contact, no smile, no thank yous, no please, and an occasional attitude.

I agree 100%.... We really need a standing ovation emoticon to use on City-Data.....

[Gpsma]

You are pretty generous with your money. Im glad you like to bail out that cashier by paying more to Target. Sorta like when Bush/Obamy bailed out GM, AIG, Etc.

[Interlude]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

You know most of the right-to-work states never had a manufacturing base and there was no point in building new plants in those states when you could get quality manufacturing done overseas for much less.

You can't seriously believe that unions are not to blame for american industry closing its doors. Of course, we can also add in intrusive government regulations to that mix and the witch's brew of costly unions, costly taxes and regulations killed american manufacturing.

That may have been the excuse early on, when unions had a lot of power and companies were seeking to reduce labor costs, but we're not talking about saving a few bucks here, outsourcing means paying 1/10th or 1/20th for the same labor. Even if there were no unions and these companies were allowed to pa7 the US minimum wage, they'd still be paying far more than they are now.

The global economy and foreign competition, driven by the unsustainable growth required by unfettered capitalism, were responsible for the death of the US manufacturing industry, not unions.

[LongIslandEddie]

Originally Posted by woody516

Woody-

In my understanding of the free enterprise system as embraced by capitalism, I wasn't under the impression that eye contact, smiles and thank-yous,
were necessary in making the system work. Perhaps I have foolishly missed the importance of these elements as I continue to shop at those few retail organizations
which offer the best (or most) mileage for my shrinking dollar. I do believe in common courtesy but I don't feel as if I've been somehow shorted if these things aren't
part of my business transaction, after all, I enter these places for the purpose of obtaining goods or services, not smiles and eye contact, I can live without these
things and most especially because my primary focus is fixed upon the budget that I am forced to maintain in order to stretch my ever-shrinking dollar. I also believe
that any worker who doesn't care about losing their job, whatever that job is, should never have taken, or even been hired for the job. Only a fool without the sense
to understand, that at a time when work is as scarce as it is, the opportunity to work and have an income, should really be valued.