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Post by unlawflcombatnt on Mar 26, 2007 3:03:07 GMT -6
In a Yahoo Business article, titled Unions Struggle With Auto Industry Cuts, the decline of the auto industry and unions is described. In this article the biggest cause of declining union membership is direct loss of unionized jobs from outsourcing and declining demand for gas-guzzling American vehicles. Below are excerpts from the article, as well as some summary points. " Union membership in manufacturing has fallen 1.3 percentage points to 11.7 percent, the first time statistics have shown it at a lower rate than among the national work force. Membership in the UAW fell below 600,000 in 2005, from a peak of 1.5 million in the late 1970s....In the central Indiana city of Anderson, 22,000 auto jobs and a dozen auto plants have closed. In Flint, Michigan, GM employment has declined from 82,000 workers in the 1970's to 12,000 jobs today. Once again, the automobile industry is in recession already. And it is getting steadily worse.
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Post by ig on Mar 26, 2007 10:26:45 GMT -6
I wonder why the Reaganites didnt want Unions or oversight? Has anyone from that administration NOT been indicted?
Here's another one
NEW YORK (AP) -- David Stockman, a former top budget official in the Reagan White House, and three others were charged Monday in an alleged securities fraud conspiracy that embroiled one of North America's largest auto parts companies before the supplier collapsed into bankruptcy.
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rdf
Contributor
Posts: 27
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Post by rdf on Mar 26, 2007 12:35:55 GMT -6
I've never understood why the unions didn't go after the foreign factories which opened in the US more aggressively. I know they tried and lost, but the workers in those plants are getting a free ride. Even though they aren't unionized their working conditions are still set using the big three as a benchmark. The workers in the home countries are all unionized so an international joint effort by the unions could have applied some pressure in the home countries.
If the unions really lose all their clout in the auto industry I wouldn't be surprised to see givebacks being demanded from the non-unionized workers in the future.
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