blitz11
Silver Level Site Supporter
Actually, it was probably my post which started the union debate.
There are a couple of points to make.
1. The U.S. engages in "free" trade, not "fair" trade. We have OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory agencies which China, India, etc., do not. If trade were fair, we'd make sure that those exporting to the U.S. paid fair wages, maintained safety and environmental regulations. If that were the case, you'd see trade imbalances (partially) rectify themselves.
2. I've been on both sides of the union, with both good and bad experiences on each side. The greatest good that unions do is advocate for those who bust their butts to work hard, add to the bottom line, and work to improve themselves. Where there's a problem is when the union leadership fail those who work hard, and act solely to protect those who don't contribute. When that happens, everyone involved suffers. From my experience, it's the latter which has lead to the demise of unions in the U.S.
I didn't mean to union bash. Hydrodog, my comment wasn't fair to the unions. I was generalizing from the experience of the Japanese and European manufacturers coming here and setting up non-union assembly plants, and that they've been able to make that work.
Thanks for pointing that out. Your points are well taken.
blitz
There are a couple of points to make.
1. The U.S. engages in "free" trade, not "fair" trade. We have OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory agencies which China, India, etc., do not. If trade were fair, we'd make sure that those exporting to the U.S. paid fair wages, maintained safety and environmental regulations. If that were the case, you'd see trade imbalances (partially) rectify themselves.
2. I've been on both sides of the union, with both good and bad experiences on each side. The greatest good that unions do is advocate for those who bust their butts to work hard, add to the bottom line, and work to improve themselves. Where there's a problem is when the union leadership fail those who work hard, and act solely to protect those who don't contribute. When that happens, everyone involved suffers. From my experience, it's the latter which has lead to the demise of unions in the U.S.
I didn't mean to union bash. Hydrodog, my comment wasn't fair to the unions. I was generalizing from the experience of the Japanese and European manufacturers coming here and setting up non-union assembly plants, and that they've been able to make that work.
Thanks for pointing that out. Your points are well taken.
blitz
