quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
In 1960 the unions went on a strike that was intended to put America on its knees. Their demands were extreme and they would not budge.
In desperation, the various companies that had to have steel turned to imported steel. It was that or close their doors. At the time, I was working as a welder for a structural steel company. I was laid off and the company was reduced to a small core of workers that did what they could with what they had to work with.
The steel union was going to teach America a lesson but they ended up being schooled.

Nothing personal against any Union workers, everybody has to make a living. But quite frankly Unions are job killers. I have witnessed at least 90% of Union freight companies collapse under their own weight during my career. I think it is very unfortunate. I like good paying jobs as much as the next guy. But when a business is put up to an unreasonable task, something is going to give. No doubt cheaper labor factors into companies moving abroad. But it is never a decision taken lightly. It would be very costly and risky to make such a major change. And nowadays some slimy politicians dont even try to hide who they intend to put out of business. Anyone who simply watches the news knows that is much more than just my opinion.

A question, if I may: last I heard, 99% of Japanese companies are union.

Why haven't unions been a problem there?

Just a couple years ago Boeing was offered the biggest contract in the company's history.

They lost it

Why........they were on strike

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:

quote:

Originally posted by TomP:

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
The EPA is what killed our steel mills. Just ask Pittsburgh. The cost of keeping up with overbearing regulations kills their profit margin, so they get out.

It's been a long time, but I seem to remember Lukens and Carpenter shifting over to premium alloys and letting the Asians have the market for garden-variety stuff.

I would submit that if they were indeed profiting from the garden variety steel they would have kept on doing it. No business venture "gives up" a major share of their profits without good reason.

That's about right. They weren't making any money competing with garden-variety Asian steel, so they moved to alloys that the Asians weren't good at. This happened a couple of decades ago, and I have not kept up with current events in the steel business.

I read somewhere that the World Trade Center was built with Japanese steel, and they wanted it back when it was scrapped. Trump was supposed to have built some of his projects with Chinese steel, and I wonder why not Korean steel.

Surely there is a middle ground between slave wages and being overpaid. I dunno.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
A question, if I may: last I heard, 99% of Japanese companies are union.

Why haven't unions been a problem there?

You do realize that Japan has been in a prolonged period of near constant recession for two decades, right?

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
A question, if I may: last I heard, 99% of Japanese companies are union.

Why haven't unions been a problem there?

Rich,
do you even know what a japanese union is? you might check in with news sources, from time to time.

Here's one place to start, for your education on both japanese unions and how to actually USE THE INTERWEBS

http://bfy.tw/8KzI

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
A question, if I may: last I heard, 99% of Japanese companies are union.

Why haven't unions been a problem there?

Don't even begin to try to compare American and Japanese unions.

I know more about US business and economy than you will ever know in 20 lifetimes!

So how much do Arms, Oil & Pharma contribute to US economy?

How efficient has US manufacturing been in the last 60 years?

How much of the US economy today is built on frivolous, nor essential glitz?

Think! If you can.

On the other hand Dairy is an essential commodity & NZ depends on it. Also on lamb & beef. also on forestry.

Also tourism.

We are one of the least protected countries to trade with - unlike the US will all the smorke and mirrors covering up core protectionism despite claiming to be the champions of the Free Market.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
Poor old USA.

It's really too bad we don't have one company that produces 1/14 of our GDP like New Zealand.

Like Rich, if you knew what you were talking about it might be worth reading. Stick to NZ, you don't know shit about Americans.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
I know more about US business and economy than you will ever know in 20 lifetimes!

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
A question, if I may: last I heard, 99% of Japanese companies are union.

Why haven't unions been a problem there?

Ask Naki, maybe he knows..


Sorry Rich, couldnt help it. I really have no Idea about Japanese unions. Is their industry still heavily regulated by Government? If so that would speak volumes.

quote:

Originally posted by TomP:


Surely there is a middle ground between slave wages and being overpaid. I dunno.

Exactly. One would think so..

I think the key in Japan is balance. Their mantra is "Our company, workers and management, against the world. "

They share the good times and the bad. The pendulum hangs straight down. Here is is always swinging one direction or the other...

Good guess.

Japanese mindset is very different.

One example - while having sex, you "cum" while the Japanese "go"!

Suicide for the Japanese is a great form of honour to preserve dignity. For the West, it is a cop out of weakness or inability to cope with life.

Japanese society is very class based with several tiers and you cannot move across classes like in the West or even in more traditional countries like India or China.

The idea of Unions in Japan is not an "opposition" but just another cog in the wheel of social organisation.

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
A question, if I may: last I heard, 99% of Japanese companies are union.

Why haven't unions been a problem there?

Ask Naki, maybe he knows..


Sorry Rich, couldnt help it. I really have no Idea about Japanese unions. Is their industry still heavily regulated by Government? If so that would speak volumes.

I saw this:

http://bulletin.accurateshoote...s-benefits-shooters/

I'm glad to see that Berger is moving away from prk. It should mean better prices and/or better product!

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Gato,

if you are having trouble grasping the implications, just think Hummv.

They had most of the military market sewn up, and GM decided to sell them to China. Within a few months, the US had cancelled their contracts, and within a year, the company was out of business. Just several thousand good-paying manufacturing jobs, GONE! People with jobs like that are the ones who buy houses, not single wide trailers, and can afford to send their children to college; not the ones who work at Wal-Mart...

The US government does not buy foreign very often, perhaps we might follow their lead...

Being an airdale and not a leg, I spent my 20 years in the military flying over Humvees. Humvees have shit armor, and were a bad decision to begin with.

Humvees got replaced by the MRAPS for a reason, and that is because if you are in a HMVEE and you get blown up you die.