Unions vs. Technology: Which Empowered Workers?

[davidlosh]

there solved 10+ years of overpaying a workforce that is largely comprised of excellently progressive work force that could have been cut by 20%+ to streamline a company to produce better cars. Glad the issue is solved

I never understand anything you write. It comes completely from left feild, has no basis of any fact, and your main focus here seems to be taunting people.

Engineering is responsible for cost over runs. Line workers assemble what's put in front of them.

According to your theory the BMW is a better car because they pay the workers less.

[mukoh]

Let me lay it out for the multitasking agent with no sales, house cleaner, home inspector, domain entrepreneur without operating site, and a fixer upper flipper.

Markor quoted an article where GM says they are not making CRAPPY cars anymore.

In that context my reply was to understandingly agree that since NOW the cars are not crappy anymore that washes away all the 10+ years of making total and utter waste of metal, that only people buy because it has to have high intensives in order to even sell. However does not wash away that in order to be competitive unions are still overpaid and are a burden on business domestically. Where is Honda, Toyota have the force that is getting paid $10 less, and producing a more desirable product. And that is USA.

Next time I will provide a short summary for you just to clarify any points you might misinterpret or understand, I know it is hard for professionals.

[deejayoh]

[mukoh]

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009 ... and-union/

Wow what a vote. People would much rather have a job then a union. Sounds like a real democracy.

[davidlosh]

Sorry, wages are a small part of cost. According to your calculations it looks like benefits are the bigger cost for American workers.

This is a large part of the health care debate and why it came up with the Auto Industry bail outs.

It is an excellent point in fact.

And mukoh I have reread your comment and like i said it makes no sense.

My web sites are http://www.seattlehousecleaning.com http://www.davidlosh.com and we are working on two new ones for http://www.buyingseattle.com and a blog at http://www.seattlehousecleaners.com and of course you have already spotted my blog at http://www.fixerfixer.com
Just not enough hours in the day.
Oh yeah and my award winning company and oldest site at http://www.aspringcleaning.com

Best of luck with your new venture.

[mukoh]

Great web presence Dave. Nice!!!!

Still the point being is that costs are where it is at for the manufacturer, and labor unions have decimated any reasonable hiring costs, when you compare union vs. non-union. Its facts. Costs are higher in union PERIOD.

Good luck on the web.

[davidlosh]

So what? It's the cost of doing business.

Like I said BMW seems to be doing alright, or they were until they started the labor game. Now that they are finding cheaper labor the car quality, in my opinion, is questionable. I drive a Prius because of the leg room, but it is a cheaply built piece of junk. I do like the gas mileage, but that is an engineering feature.

I've owned a lot of businesses and have the labor discussion all the time. I pay well from what people tell me. I prefer to pay well. Profit should be based on the quality of the product or service rather than cheap labor.

It's kind of like saying if we made airplanes completely out of plastic it would make planes more profitable. If your profit is based on how cheaply the product can be produced you're in trouble. More likely the consumer is in trouble.

Blaming Unions for the lack of profit, or saying Wal Mart needs to make excessive profits at the expense of workers is short sighted. We all pay. We pay too much for mismanagement of cheap labor, that doesn't pay enough bills, and keeps people just hungry enough to want a job. Eventually some one snaps and becomes a statistic.

Unions are good for America, and they do seem to work for Europe. How about Greece, Italy, France, Germany, and South America? Do those economies suffer from Union representation also?

[WestSideBilly]

[WestSideBilly]

[jon]

[Markor]

[Markor]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[davidlosh]

This thread has nothing to do with technology. Why rename it?

If Boeing workers in Washington State decertify the company can move on. What's the incentive to keep them here? Jobs?

Low paying jobs attract low pay workers.

We already have a wage problem in the United States. Wages stagnated while the cost of everything went up. If we do get more decertification and Unions lose to the Wal Mart mentality we will have fewer consumer dollars for the pricing we currently have in place.

How will workers pay for all this debt we are relying on?

[rose-colored-coolaid]