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Unions were created to force companies to share the wealth. Before that, workers were treated like slaves with no job security, little pay and dangerous working conditions. In short, even worse than it is today.
And, when those workers were successful, America took off because the prosperity was from top to bottom. Not only did the owners make a good profit (though not as much as they were before), so did the workers and that drove demand, which kept the economic pump well primed. For those who think unions have been the ruination of the country, look at WWII, when the United States out produced every nation on earth. Guess what? That was right at the height of the unions powers.
Now, though, we've returned to the era of the Robber Barons, but the Barons are smarter. Since Ronald Reagan, their friends in Washington have made it much more difficult to organize unions. Were that to be corrected, we wouldn't even be having this conversation because the workers would be getting their share of pie and spending it. Demand would be outstripping production, rather than the other way around.
Also, with the opening of Communist China (yes, it still is) to investments, and tax breaks provided by their bought and paid for politicians, modern-day Robber Barons could threaten to move jobs overseas if their "associates" objected. And, as anyone who's worked in industry over the past thirty years knows fully well, they did, regularly.
Oh, but wait? Why just threaten them with moving their jobs? Why not just go ahead and do it? Lusting after the profits they could see in the short term, they've done it with abandon, killing the very goose which laid their Golden Egg and, more astonishingly, convincing those very workers they've screwed to high heaven that it's a good thing!
Great point, there. Bottom line is, the more money the employee makes, the more money they spend and pump up the economy thereby creating more jobs. When the employee only makes 10.00 hr. there is no money left to spend except for subsistance items like food and housing. Might as well open a company store at work and issue wooden nickels at these wages.
One day you'll claim that those who don't have jobs are just "lazy" and the next you'll bemoan Obama's economy and weep out loud for those unable to find work (all O's fault of course.)
Your opinion changes as the wind blows, then you turn around and insult others for saying the same things you do. Talk about Kool Aid....
What does our present administration want any more than more and more people depending on them for assistance? The more people that are like that the more votes they will get and that is for progressives.
That's hogwash. The present administration is trying to create a better life for ALL American's, not just those in the upper-income strata. That's what American values used to be, before some of us started thinking they were better than others.
Great point, there. Bottom line is, the more money the employee makes, the more money they spend and pump up the economy thereby creating more jobs. When the employee only makes 10.00 hr. there is no money left to spend except for subsistance items like food and housing. Might as well open a company store at work and issue wooden nickels at these wages.
Yeah, and none of those business owners ever spend a dime.
One day you'll claim that those who don't have jobs are just "lazy" and the next you'll bemoan Obama's economy and weep out loud for those unable to find work (all O's fault of course.)...
Show me a link to a post where I said that all people without jobs are lazy.
If that story was about the plant in Newton, IA, it's closing is not about the recession: It's about the same ol' story...corporate greed.
Maytag was bought out by Whirlpool a few years ago and they've been steadily shedding employees ever since. Whirlpool wasn't content just to compete with Maytag; they had to own them too and change the way they do business.
The Newton plant once had something like 6000 workers, but more and more production was shifted to Mexico or China and the last I heard, the number of workers had shrunk to 1600. I believe the final closing saw those remaining jobs go to Mexico and a non-union plant in Ohio.
That is just sickening. No excuse for things like this happening. Especially during times like this.
The attack on the middle class has been brutal this past decade. And the smaller it gets the closer this country gets closer to ruin. A great nation has a large middle class. And that demographic has been shrinking rapidly these past 10 years.
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People who go to work building things that have been around for over 100 years should not get too comfortable in their life style. The concept of middle class who people who work in manufacturing maybe and out dated concept. I grew up around dozens of factory workers. It was not uncommon for a couple to make in excess of $100,000 a year in 1974. Pretty good for high school drop outs. The smartest of these people built up large amounts of cash reserves. $200,000 was considered adequate because the knew they were on borrowed time.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lorrysda
And what do you not understand about the fact it is the Unions that have driven Companies to leave the USA because they cannot survive with Union demands.
And what you so casually overlook is the level of greed and sense of entitlement that management has developed in many companies, a level few union workers even dream of.
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