The erosion of worker compensation

[applegrove]

Bob Herman at Axios

https://www.axios.com/the-erosion-of-worker-compensation-1516915779-5de48fc9-bfe8-4577-88e0-4e9b46591af3.html

"SNIP..........

Corporate profits have dramatically outpaced wages and health benefits since the turn of the century, leaving workers on the hook for more of their health care costs even as their purchasing power falls, according to a review of federal data.

Key quote: "If I were a middle-class American, I’d be outraged," said Regina Herzlinger, a professor at Harvard Business School. "I’d demand much greater transparency about how much I’m getting in health insurance and wages."

..........SNIP"

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Many of the Red States are or

have gone to this formula for Workers Comp. They use a flat fee of say 13-15k for the Injury,when the medical including any payments for time off hit this number,you are screwed. Case closed. Go die somewhere in another State.

[Mariana]

2. She WOULD be outraged, IF she were a middle class American.

Isn't that nice of her?

[Moral Compass]

3. Erosion is due to a complete lack of bargaining power

The reason wages have fallen in real terms, defined retirement plans have disappeared (for most of us), and the bulk of cost of health insurance is now paid by the employees is a complete lack of bargaining power.

Without unions there is no bargaining entity to push back. Even with unions tax policies that actually incentivize moving production overseas, modern communications technologies, and cheap energy have made it easy to fight off any gains unions might have demanded.

We are fighting a rear guard action with defeat all but inevitable.