We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
From the Wall Street Journal's coverage of the Boeing outrage:
NLRB Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon said that in repeated statements to employees and the media, Boeing executives cited the unionized employees' past strike activity and the possibility of future strikes as the overriding factors in deciding to locate the second production line at the nonunion facility. The comments were coercive and motivated by a desire to retaliate against workers for past strikes, while attempting to discourage future strike activity, the agency charged.
The "right to strike" now outweighs the right to speak and the right to make completely rational business decisions. When Boeing mentions the potential cost of a strike, it is now "coercive speech."
And this guy John Raudabaugh--what is he talking about?
John Raudabaugh, a former NLRB Republican member who represents companies for Washington, D.C., law firm Nixon Peabody LLP, said Boeing executives should have been more measured with their words. "I think it's unfortunate if they said it the way it has been reported," he said. "They should have offered up a cost-related explanation," Mr. Raudabaugh said.
They did offer up a cost-related explanation. If you can't grasp that, get the hell away from my economy.
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Feb '11
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
This is the same logic that says if you have two job applicants, one pregnant and one not, you cannot reject the pregnant applicant even though there is a good chance she will have a higher level of absenteeism. (Or in some countries, be entitled to N months of maternity leave.)
But at least with that, there is a bit of decency involved and promotion of other societal values. As opposed to the Boeing case.
Edited on Apr 21, 2011 at 4:59amJun '10
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
"The "right to strike" now outweighs the right to speak and the right to make completely rational business decisions."
Nuts, isn't it?
I have a relative from Germany who is an exec with BMW in South Carolina, a right-to-work state. He is impressed with the quality of workers he's been able to bring in from the textile industries. The BMW workers are not unionized and they make higher wages than union workers. They have had applicants storming the doors of the plant since the day it opened. The cleanliness and professionalism and work ethic I saw when touring is mind-boggling. State-of-the-art doesn't begin to describe it.
My relative and his fellow management colleagues are sharp businessmen, and becasue of this, they have a deep appreciation for the humanity of their workers. Their attitudes help account for the pride that the BMW worker feels in his product. It's truly a culture of mutual respect. Unlike the union world, BMW and similar comapnies practice the simplest management principle of all --- you get what you reward.
Feb '11
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
BMW offers guided tours of the Spartanburg factory, and anyone heading through SC on I-95 might want to think about doing this. Most Americans today, I'm pretty sure, have never actually seen a factory in operation.
Jan '11
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
The only power unions need to succeed is coercion; government sanctioned use of destructive force by strike. No rational argument is needed, only demands. It’s only the threat of destructive force that ensures their success at the “bargaining table,” and that's all they bring.
Name any enterprises, manufacturing or service, private or public, that were improved by unions. Name any enterprises, manufacturing or service, private or public, that were destroyed by unions. Get the picture?
Thuggery can only destroy, it always has. Thuggery can never build, it never has.
Jan '11
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
The sequence is all too familiar.
First you tax and regulate the [expletive deleted] out of those big, rich, evil-profit-making businesses.
Then when they take the obvious steps to get out from under, you chain them in place and say, "No, I order you to continue doing exactly as you were before I interfered with you."
Then you look around the devastated landscape and wonder where all the wealth went.
Oct '10
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
I noticed a year ago, that during my four years at Boeing, roughly 15% of the time the IAM ( and all associated unions ) were on strike. The wobblies here really have an aggressive entitlement mentality towards Boeing. Aggressive as in, I have been told to avoid the factories during the run up to contract negotiations.
Aug '10
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
Is it a far leap to think that this is how the Obama Administration will "equalize" states? We can't have businesses fleeing an expensive state like California for more tax-friendly states like Texas. So, the Administration will now dictate where you can or cannot do business.
May '10
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
The Dark Night of Fascism is always descending upon conservative America, but it only lands in liberal-land.
Feb '11
Re: We Have Entered Advanced Insanity
South Carolina is an early primary state. Perhaps rather than getting caught up in the diversionary MSM narrative of Bob Jones U and Confederate flags, Republican Presidential candidates should talk about South Carolina's workforce (and primary voters) as one of the attractive forces to Boeing or BMW, not merely labor laws. They should question why the Administration is willing to punish companies who want to create American manufacturing jobs because the jobs are not unionized.
Specifically, if I were advising these candidates or proto-candidates, I would suggest they should take a day away from visiting Iowa diners talking about ethanol, and do a presser at the SC Boeing site with Senator DeMint on one side and Governor Haley on the other and talk about an Administration more interested in helping its campaign funders (talk about campaign finance special interests!) than in reducing high unemployment by creating high-wage American jobs.