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Old 08-08-2008, 12:12 PM
 
214 posts, read 1,061,212 times
Reputation: 101

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Isn`t it sad that in a nation as great as ours we have some of are greatest cities in history suffering this way with vacant houses,stores, homeless, etc. I honestly think the unions drove these companies away from these cities. With there monthly strikes, pay increases, benefits, lawsuits, high payroll for employes,etc. Then go to a third world country and pay workers 2 dollars an hour and thats it you`ll save billions. I know michigan has alot of union workers and im not bashing them just saying if you owned a business wouldn`t you do the same. I wouldn`t want to but after putting up with that stuff I might leave too.
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Old 08-08-2008, 12:35 PM
 
Location: finally made it back to DFW!
293 posts, read 849,634 times
Reputation: 210
I am no fan of unions, but I'm not convinced that they drove companies out of the country. (The state, maybe...there are certainly advantages to doing business in other states and the unions have created a negative impression of the MI workforce.) But let's face it, even without unions, it's still going to be cheaper to pay employees $2.00 an hour. Even if the manufacturing companies only paid minimum wage, it would STILL be cheaper and more profitable to send the jobs to a place where they only have to pay 1/4 of the minimum wage.
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Old 08-08-2008, 03:19 PM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,845,845 times
Reputation: 3920
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer74 View Post
I am no fan of unions, but I'm not convinced that they drove companies out of the country. (The state, maybe...there are certainly advantages to doing business in other states and the unions have created a negative impression of the MI workforce.) But let's face it, even without unions, it's still going to be cheaper to pay employees $2.00 an hour. Even if the manufacturing companies only paid minimum wage, it would STILL be cheaper and more profitable to send the jobs to a place where they only have to pay 1/4 of the minimum wage.
Exactly. Even countries like Ireland are losing manufacturing jobs to countries like Poland. Mexican plants are starting to close to go to cheaper Central American countries. Chinese factories are even closing up to move to cheaper countries. None of these countries has any type of unions.

Every dollar saved goes right to the bottom line is the common mantra in the corporate world.
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Old 08-08-2008, 08:54 PM
 
214 posts, read 1,061,212 times
Reputation: 101
Yeah you guys are probably right I just hear its the unions fault but I should have thought about it myself. Thanks
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Old 08-08-2008, 08:58 PM
 
214 posts, read 1,061,212 times
Reputation: 101
So basically these companies are leaving because of cheap labor. Isn`t there a law that companies cant leave this country I dont think so but maybe. China is seriouly losing factories that is a big shocker.
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Old 08-10-2008, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,845,845 times
Reputation: 3920
Quote:
Originally Posted by sam721 View Post
So basically these companies are leaving because of cheap labor. Isn`t there a law that companies cant leave this country I dont think so but maybe. China is seriouly losing factories that is a big shocker.
Welcome to the new Global Economy, where "Nobody wins until we all hit rock bottom!!"

Mexico started losing factory jobs to China about 3 years ago:

As China Gallops, Mexico Sees Factory Jobs Slip Away - New York Times

Now Chinese factories are starting to close and moving to lower cost countries:

Chinese factories losing competitive edge - International Business Times - (http://hk.ibtimes.com/articles/20080222/chinese-factories-losing-competitive-edge.htm - broken link)
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Old 08-10-2008, 09:54 AM
 
Location: Oklahoma(formerly SoCalif) Originally Mich,
13,387 posts, read 19,421,922 times
Reputation: 4611
Sounds like the goal is to get people to work to pay taxes but receive no pay check.
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Old 08-10-2008, 03:37 PM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,845,845 times
Reputation: 3920
Even Nissan's Tennessee operations is offering buyouts to 6600 of its employees, hoping that at least 1200 will take the offers to drastically cut staff.

Bloomberg.com: Japan

Nissan's Smyrna, TN plant is non-union.

Continental Tire in Charlotte, NC closed last year due to labor costs (non-union):

http://www2.nccommerce.com/eclipsfiles/13027.pdf

And Philip Morris shut down operations in NC recently, sending 2500 people out the door:

http://www2.nccommerce.com/eclipsfiles/17087.pdf
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Old 08-10-2008, 03:44 PM
 
Location: Over the Rainbow...
5,963 posts, read 12,429,236 times
Reputation: 3169
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickc121 View Post
I'm not surprised to see all of those ohio cities on that list. At least Michigan has some natural beauty. Ohio is a very barren state in my opinion. That article blamed the ohio population losses on the closing of various plants and the loss of blue collar jobs. Basically the same thing thats happened to flint
You obviously have never been to Southern or Southeastern Ohio which is very pretty and green with rolling hills.
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