Thursday, May 08, 2014

How Unions Are Unfairly Scapegoated For Detroit's Woes













In addition to short working hours, all German auto workers enjoy the protections of two unions: the industry union (the powerful IG Metall), as well as a "works council" union. And unlike U.S. workers, German labor law requires that German workers get representation on companies' board of directors.





Speaking of high wages, the Germans are hardly slouches in that regard, either. In 2011, Forbes magazine reported that the average auto worker in Germany made $67.14 per hour. By contrast, the average U.S. auto worker made $33.77 per hour. Despite this, excluding "transplant" assembly plants, Germany produces more automobiles than the U.S. (5.5 million in 2010, vs. 2.7 million in the U.S.)





















Restoring America 2016 said...

Unions have been responsible for the decline of American industry. That is a proven fact.
We need to dismantle the unions and do away with all these regulations that are stifling American business. Only then will our country prosper.

Vote GOP in November! Together, we will restore America's greatness.

Saul Thorne said...

Now that the Select Committee has been established to investigate Benghazi, we can begin the process of uncovering the truth.
Obama and the Liberals can run from the Truth, but they cannot hide.
If we can retake the Senate in November, then we can begin Impeachment proceedings.
Never Forget! Four Dead in Benghazi due to Obama's criminal incompetence.

Marc McDonald said...

To the previous poster: this Benghazi bullshit is nothing more than a gimmick by the GOP to raise funds for November (and to also attempt to tarnish Hillary's upcoming bid). No doubt, it'll succeed in the former. But it will fail in the latter.
Nobody outside of the Rush Limbaugh crowd gives a shit about Benghazi. It's a fake "scandal" (much like Whitewater was).

Marc McDonald said...

>>"We need to dismantle the unions"

You know, Hitler went after the unions, too. Many organized labor leaders were sent off to the concentration camps. Trade unions were brutally crushed in Nazi Germany.

Chris said...

If you really want to know what has been happening to Japan and China, read the book "In the Jaws of the Dragon", by Eamonn Fingleton. Nothing but growth. It's mostly a book about the outsourcing of manufacturing and China, but it's worth reading and understanding, because it is one of the few books that deals with what is really going on. If there were any books that would be required reading on the subject of outsourcing, that would be one of the few.

Japan has not, according to Fingleton experienced anything near the recession that has been portrayed in the West. In fact, the Japanese encourage that we keep up the illusion to prevent a backlash owing to the massive trade deficit. If you want proof, Fingleton argues, look at Japan's life expectancy since 1990. Anyways, I think it is 84 right now.

In the US, life expectancy during that same time period has not done very well.

Here is an article to read on it:

If you want, to, here's the map of life expectancy based on the study in the article:

Striking apparently is the correlation between that map and this one, the 2012 elections results:,_2012#mediaviewer/File:2012nationwidecountymapshadedbypercentagewon.svg

Do you see any similarities?

Anyways, if you are interested in sorting, Wiki is always good for this:

Anonymous said...

Greedy unions and crafty CEO's of the 80's auto industry got together and crafted unfunded retirement packages that were never funded by the Auto Industry. It was a major factor in the collapse of the American Auto Industry, that, and the refusal of the auto makers to build a decent vehicle, GM, to this day is guilty as sin and we are paying for bad porducts with our deflated dollars, again, the product of our greedy bunch who spend money they do not have.

Marc McDonald said...

To the previous commenter: Ah, yes, let's blame the unions. And where, exactly, are you getting your "facts" from? Limbaugh?
Did you even bother to read my piece?