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Corporate Progressivism Sets its Sites on the South

A major reason the Big Three auto makers can’t turn a profit as they are currently organized is due to the generous union contracts they signed years ago. As you can see below, the Big Three are paying about $25 more per hour than their domestic competitors:

unionwages.jpg

So what happens if Congress refuses to write a big check for the Big Three? don’t worry, they have a Plan B. MSNBC reports:

But what if the UAW could more easily organize workers at Honda and Hyundai? UAW-represented workers at Honda and Hyundai could then bargain for higher wages.

The Employee Free Choice Act, passed by the House of Representatives last year, but stymied n the Senate, aims to make unionization easier by allowing workers to join a union by signing a card rather than by going through a secret-ballot election. The bill is called “card check” for short.

The shrinkage of GM, partly due to competition from Honda, Hyundai, and other plants in Alabama and other states, has decimated the UAW.

A UAW ally, Rep. Tim Ryan, D- Ohio, said enactment of the Employee Free Choice Act “would level the playing field. Each facility would be competing on the same playing field.”

Got that? The left wants to do for the newly successful manufacturing states what the Big Three and unions did for Michigan. Oh, and by the way, MSNBC also reports:

The UAW’s political action committee spent $11.5 million to help Democratic candidates this year.

Now that’s some change you can pay for.

  • Author: Conn Carroll
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2 Comments

November 24, 2008 Autos » Corporate Progressivism Sets its Sites on the South writes:

[...] Corporate Progressivism Sets its Sites on the South By Heritage, November 25, 2008, Category?Uncategorized Read more:http://blog.heritage.org/2008/11/24/corporate-progressivism-sets-its-s [...]

November 25, 2008 Spiritof76, New Hampshire writes:

The so called “Employee Free Choice Act” when enacted will spell disaster to the foreign auto plants, Wal-Mart etc. etc. Foreign companies will shift production elsewhere and jobs will be lost. American labor will not be attractive as its productivity will be dulled by the sudden jump in per hour cost of manufacture at those plants.
What would happen if all the plants and small businesses shut their plants down right after the passage of the bill and lay off their employees? Only a heavy medicine like that will take care of the bullying tactics. American economy will come to screeching halt and the politicians will get the message. However, in order for that to be effective, over 90% of the businesses must cooperate. But, what a rebirth of our nation that would usher in where honest work/pay in a voluntary manner is once again part of our work ethic?

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