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This is my diatribe on the state of the auto industry in America. In
case you have not noticed the recent trend of auto makers moving out of
the USA or just closing plants or cutting benefits. I blame the Unions.
 
Bert
 
Once upon a time.
 
Once upon a time in America there was a sleepy little town with no
industry save agriculture. As the population grew the children moved
away to cities that afforded jobs other than the drudgery of farm work.
Along comes an automobile manufacturer and offers to build a plant in
the community. The citizens are delighted because now maybe their
children will stay in the area. The plant is built and gives jobs as
promised and the children stay home and the town prospers beyond what
was expected because now additional businesses open to keep the town's
people from driving to other cities to buy goods and services. There are
several new grocery stores and drugstores. More and more jobs are
created. All of a sudden there are additional housing start-ups which
require hardware stores and lumber yards. Property values increase as
well as real estate values. The city receives more taxes from a new
burgeoning residential and commercial tax base because now people are
moving into town to start up new businesses. The result of the new
growth the county can build better and safer roads and pave previously
unpaved roads. Everyone is satisfied and employed and realizing the
American dream.
 
This continues until a Union Organizer infiltrates the plant and starts
telling the workers that they deserve to work fewer hours, with more
vacation, more pay, and more benefits. The Organizers say if you the
workers stick together you can demand all the above described benefits
with the threat of a strike. Some of the workers resist but the
Organizers keeps pressing, pointing out where the "suits" (management)
reside in the better part of town and how the workers are making the
"Suits" rich for doing what appears as nothing but pushing pencils and
shaking hands with visitors while the workers in the plant get dirty and
do boring repetitive jobs.
After a few years the workers give in and unite and through Union
representation make demands for all of the above benefits "Or Else" they
intend to strike and stop production. The plant refuses pointing out
cost of living increases they have given over the years as well as
health benefits and vacation time are in accordance with the industry as
a whole.
 
The workers strike anyway and everyone in area of the town suffers
including all of the new businesses that were created. Finally the plant
gives in to the demands partially and an agreement is struck between
labor and management. The plant has conceded and now has planted the
seed of empowerment in the collective minds of labor. The Union as a
result now has labors attention and now the Union at regular meetings
can continue to prey on the workers every whim of unfair treatment
whether real or imagined that has been put upon labor by management.
Remember all of the while that what's good for labor in the way of pay
increases is good for the Union Organizers for every increase in pay the
laborers receive the Union Organizers pay increases as well because the
Union receives a percentage of the laborer's checks.
 
The next strike which will surely come is easier than the last. The
Union watches national trends and when the plant is starting to come out
of the hole Organized labor has punched in their budget by the last
strike the Union Organizer pushes for more pay and benefits once again.
 
The plant stops hiring and starts cutting employees to survive. The town
suffers. The county suffers. The city suffers. Even the state suffers.
All of the local businesses suffer.
 
The plant shuts down and the town and the area dies a slow death.
Another plant opens somewhere else. The Union Organizers pack and move
on with the plant to try and get a foothold in the new plant. The cycle
continues until...until the plant moves out of these United States.
 
Union Organizers are like fleas on a Dog. They abandon the Dog..."Labor"
only when the Dog is dead. 
 

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