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I know the $71/hour figure includes benefits, but I cite that as the COGS of union vs. non-union for a comparison. Simply put, it is more costly to manufacture cars under unions than it is non-unions, thereby leaving the companies less competitive.
They are. When they lose business to other venues/companies/countries because of the associated costs to do business with union-backed companies, YES. They are. How does it help the union if their members are out of work because they've lost their competitive edge and lost business.
It depends. Some companies do pretty well with unions. UPS, ABF Freight, and here in the midwest most commercial construction is unionized. Also, I don't agree with the notion that business have to skimp on wages to be successful. Costco pays much their employees way more than WalMart, has good benefits and is doing very well. They also have very low turnover and employee theft, probably because they take care of their employees.
It depends. Some companies do pretty well with unions. UPS, ABF Freight, and here in the midwest most commercial construction is unionized. Also, I don't agree with the notion that business have to skimp on wages to be successful. Costco pays much their employees way more than WalMart, has good benefits and is doing very well. They also have very low turnover and employee theft, probably because they take care of their employees.
I'm not suggesting unions skimp on wages. I am suggesting they stay competitive, globally. How they do that is up to them. If the global market dictates that it should cost $5 to make a widget, then union or non-union companies in the US need to make that widget for $4.99 to stay competitive so we stop losing jobs.
So no pro-union person ever answered my question as to why you needed a union person to put a plug in an outlet at McCormick Place and a non-union person was not allowed to do it ?
This video ,and two trade treaties (NAFTA & GATT) shoved down Americans throat in the 1990's, show the results of all the outsourcing the Unions warned about.
People can hate unions all they want to but the real blame for all the lost jobs lay in a congress paid for by big business. NOT the unions.
Don't believe me? Then do some darn homework to see that I'm right!
The price of goods goes up no matter what and union jobs traditionally had higher paid workers who could afford to buy more of what other AMERICANS made in AMERICA.
Nobody can compete against Walmart.....cheap crap and low wages and no other choice....this is the America some AMERICANS want !!!!!!
The price of goods will go up no matter what due to inflation, whether they go up higher than that is in part dependent on the cost of labor. Do you think Walmart would be so cheap if their American retail workers were unionized?
Additionally, a lot of Americans point to protectionism as a panacea against all of Americas problems when it has been proven again and again that Free Trade enriches people on both sides of the boarder. They point to the era before free trade in the 1950s without realizing that America only did so well back then was because the rest of the world was in ruins after World War II. The fact of the matter is that other countries will compete with us, regardless of what we do and consumers will almost universally look for the greatest perceived value for their money.
I know the $71/hour figure includes benefits, but I cite that as the COGS of union vs. non-union for a comparison. Simply put, it is more costly to manufacture cars under unions than it is non-unions, thereby leaving the companies less competitive.
They are. When they lose business to other venues/companies/countries because of the associated costs to do business with union-backed companies, YES. They are. How does it help the union if their members are out of work because they've lost their competitive edge and lost business.
Tell me how does a company compete with foreign manufacturers who pay $3 to $5 dollars an hour? No matter how many concessions labor union make you're not going to find Americans to work for those kinds of wages. The auto industries in this country that aren't unionized only get the kind of wages they get because they have to compete for workers here who aren't being paid slave wages. Get rid of the unions and see how quickly the non-unionized auto companies still keep paying what they do now. The foreign owned companies also haven't been here long enough to have legacy costs for retirees. When they do you're going to see their cost of labor tacked on to each car go up to match the unionized factories.
A lot of the people that shop at Walmart are living paycheck to paycheck.
A lot of the people who shop anywhere are living paycheck to paycheck. Those who shop at Walmart are unwise, though, because they're certainly not saving money just by shopping there. I get better deals on everything, particularly food/groceries, shopping elsewhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan
I'd wager you'd find more conservatives at Whole Foods then Walmart.
Where I live most people are liberals, especially in a Whole Foods. I won't shop there either, though, it's a ripoff, and it's owned by a conservative moron.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan
Nice try though to pin that one on the right.
I pinned it where it belongs. Most paycheck-to-paycheck people are the backwoods hicks throughout the country who don't have much of a choice other than WalMart.
Do you think Walmart would be so cheap if their American retail workers were unionized?
Nope because he was talking about Americans buying what Americans made.
Consume what we produce. That cannot be said for the third world nations now producing for us. They can produce but they cannot consume what they produce because they cannot afford it. It comes back to us, the American consumer to purchase.
Problem is though that our standard of living is being lowered and soon we won't be able to afford them either.
So no pro-union person ever answered my question as to why you needed a union person to put a plug in an outlet at McCormick Place and a non-union person was not allowed to do it ?
Yes, unions have become their own worst enemy. In a recession that is magnified.
OK, I'm a union member, and that rule is dumb. On the other hand, I strongly doubt anyone actually followed it.
This would be hilarious if it wasn't so totally ridiculous!:
"""""Unions are not needed, as one's individual character & talent determines if they work """
SO! All those Americans who are out of work are ONLY the ones with no character or talent????
That was a twist, now wasn't it!!!!
Lets twist it farther... All those Unionized Americans who are out of work are ONLY the ones with no character or talent????
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