[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by stovt001

No one is putting a gun to the workers heads forcing them to work for less pay while management gets more pay. If they don't like it, then they should go work for one of those companies that care only about paying employees whatever they want. Oh wait...

Most workers in this country do just fine without Unions. Your company is cutting your pay and you don't like it? Then leave. If my pay was cut significantly enough to overcome all the other advantages of working for the company that employs me, I'd leave.

The unions need to pick their battles. In this instance, they have absolutely nothing going in their favor. They make products for vehicles GM is facing little demand for, in an overall market that is at its weakest point in the cycle, and a buyer's labor market. American Axle apparently has pretty good capacity abroad to shift operations. Made short: GM has declining need for AA's products, and AA has declining need for UAW employees. Instead of striking to demand wages far above their market value, maybe its time they start looking at more promising labor markets.

Now if the situation was different, then the union action could make perfect sense. If demand for the product was increasing, their wages were below the market rate, and the availability of non-UAW labor was low, then I'd say the union would not be working in their employees favor if they didn't strike.

As I said, its all about picking your battles and knowing the economics of the situation. With increasing globalization the unions and their workers need to realize that manufacturing is not America's competitive strength. Our strengths are services (especially location specific) and ownership. Entering one of those fields is the only logical decision. Stubbornly clinging to manufacturing when other countries can do it better is all but suicide.

I'll just stop - I promise. Otherwise I...nevermind. If you're really interested in talking about this; we can take it through PMs.