Strike! (Updated) (Updated Again) 12
A basic principal of labor relations is that unions are the creation of management.
Companies who treat their people decent do not have labor problems.
Yet, it is characteristic of American industry to view unions as the enemy.
Why is that?
Perhaps it is because, when unions hold fast, they bring the incompetence of management to the surface, for all to see.
This is certainly what is happening in the General Motors strike.
Why is GM in such bad shape?
Because of incompetent management.
Incompetent management that gave away the store to the union back in the 50s and 60s when the Big Three were still the Big Three.
Incompetent management that hailed “concealed window wipers” as a great advance even as Honda brought out the 40 plus miles per gallon Civic in the early 70s.
Incompetent management that put all its chips in the storage area of the elephant Tahoe even as fuel prices rocketed to the skies in the 2000s.
Incompetent management that gives itself huge bonuses for its own incompetence even as the elevator falls to the basement.
And, of course, the persons who should pay for this are, needless to say, not the incompetent managers.
There will likely be no winners in the GM strike. If the company goes under, though, remember this: it will not be the fault of the persons who build the vehicles.
It will be fault of the empty suits who have run ran the company into the ground.
Addendum, Later That Same Evening:
Addendum, 9/25/2007:
September 25, 2007 at 5:48 am
Unions may be the creation of management, but I do not think I would risk straining my back carrying a union banner. You do not have to look too hard to find numerous examples of union mismanagement, misappropriation of union members’ funds (including pension funds), bribery, and (alleged) connections to organized crime. Union management is often no better than the corporate management they rail against. That’s what happens when you put power hungry people and large sums of money together.
I wonder what ever became of Jimmy Hoffa?
September 25, 2007 at 7:08 am
I know nothing about the UAW, but I do know about the plumbing union.
If you’re a lousy plumber who couldn’t work your way out of a wet paper sack, get in the union. If you have no mind of your own, get in the union. If you’re a lazy individual who doesn’t want to work, get in the union.
BUT, if you’re an individual who wants to work, but has what’s referred to as a “physical handicap”, stay away. They can’t see past it. It happened to Chris. They couldn’t see past his legs. He was too much of a “liability”, according to the management of the plumbing union.
September 25, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Bill:
Jimmy Hoffa, convinced it was the only way he could avoid assassination by the Mafia, went briefly underground a number of years ago, then resurfaced wearing women’s clothes, heavy makeup, and calling himself Tammy Faye Bakker. He recently died of cancer.
September 25, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Opie,
You owe me a new keyboard! Mine has Corona all over it.
September 26, 2007 at 6:09 am
…Uncle Bill drinks Corona?
September 26, 2007 at 7:07 am
Bill,
Mine dodged the tea.
Opie,
I’ve always loved a cracked sense of humor.
September 26, 2007 at 10:51 am
“Second Son Says…Uncle Bill drinks Corona?”
Yes, but not all the time.
September 26, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Well karen. . .man that’s one I don’t like to think about. . I out did all of them they still work for the man, I am the man!!!!! so in my way of thinking I had to set my goals higer, and I did and here you are!! doing much better I think? And he’s not there no more, and I am!! But thanks be to our lord for my get up and go!
September 26, 2007 at 4:31 pm
On the serious side of this, I have had union jobs in the past, and am non-union now. I stand up for the right of workers to collective bargaining, but I also insist they realize that nobody should have to hire them if the price is not right. If they can convince employers to pay them an above market wage, good for them, but the fact that they belong to a union does not entitle them to above-market wages automatically.
Unions have labored (no point in saying that pun is unintended) long and hard to get down to the low percentage of the American work force they now represent. They hatched the brilliant strategy of offending the very people they hope to sign up, by calling them scabs and rats. Long before evangelical Christianity made the mistake of aligning too closely with one political party, unions were the willing mistress of the Democrats, with damaging results. I can’t say organized labor’s strategy in my adult lifetime is going to go down as any great textbook example of how to ignite a movement.
September 10, 2010 at 1:12 am
labor relations with employees and company should always be in good terms to be more productive;;”
October 12, 2010 at 3:00 pm
labor relations should always be keep in good condition for businesses to prosper*”,
December 14, 2010 at 12:43 pm
labor relations can be like politics, sometimes it is hard to establish some very good labor relations -;~