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In reply to the discussion: We romanticize manufacturing jobs when what we really miss are unions. [View all]Hortensis
(58,785 posts)42. Absolutely. How people could have lived through
8 years of W, seen the incredible difference competence makes with Obama, now have the dreadful specter of Trump as the ultimate incompetent, and still dismiss simple competence as a critical asset is appallingly dismaying.
Bernie couldn't put together a 6-pack of superdelegate support among his colleagues and has no idea what laws already in place might be useful to him. That's reality.
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Why is it that the German people and their government stubbornly kept their manufacturing
truedelphi
May 2016
#34
Thats true, German unions are very strong so even with T1SA and T*IP coming they are
Baobab
May 2016
#94
Through the EU Germany has trade agreements with 19 countries in Central/South America,
pampango
May 2016
#98
It's known that the more control and decision making you give a worker,
passiveporcupine
May 2016
#22
Good point. Manufacturing jobs have declined everywhere but progressive countries have strong unions
pampango
May 2016
#6
None of that is the real problem. Progressive countries all belong to the WTO (MFN for China),
pampango
May 2016
#24
That would be a good question to ask unions in Sweden and Germany where they are very strong
pampango
May 2016
#44
OK, but what keeps German, or Swedish, companies from moving jobs to China or other such? - eom
dreamnightwind
May 2016
#100
Our imports from China are 2.6% of our economy. In Germany it is 2.4% so they probably
pampango
May 2016
#101
I lived through the period when the unions were most powerful, in the 50s through 70s.....
dmosh42
May 2016
#81
I worked 40 plus years in a union shop the unions are only as corrupt as the people you elect to run
doc03
May 2016
#52
I work in a Teamster-unionized factory. It's nothing glamorous, and often horribly stressful work
NickB79
May 2016
#15
You're correct. I had one during college, it was toxic and horrible. Anyone making less than
diane in sf
May 2016
#17
Manufacturing jobs that moved away today will be nothing like those that might move back.
Agnosticsherbet
May 2016
#53
No union has leverage when these 'free' trade agreements allow their jobs to be shipped overseas. nt
w4rma
May 2016
#57
Yes, there IS something special about manufacturing jobs! they are inherently more profitable
TheFrenchRazor
May 2016
#59
total manufacturing may or may not be up; population definitely is, so show me some per capita
TheFrenchRazor
May 2016
#91
your quote says there's nothing special about manufacturing jobs. i disagree. nt
TheFrenchRazor
May 2016
#89
it's not either/or !! we need manufacturing AND unions, as i alluded to. good evening. nt
TheFrenchRazor
May 2016
#92
Poor Wages Send a Third of US Manufacturing Workers to Welfare Lines in Order to Pay for--
eridani
May 2016
#61
It's a perception issue. This is one of my favorite topics so PM me if you want to hear more.
stevenleser
May 2016
#97