LIFTING THE PAY CAP ON 8 MILLION WORKERS Unions Cap Their Member’s Pay Setting a Wage Ceiling: Currently union contracts set both a wage floor and a wage ceiling. Unionized employers may not give productive workers pay raises outside the collectively bargained contract. Seniority-Based Pay: Unions usually demand that employers reward workers for “time served” rather than “hard work.” No matter how good an employee does his job, he cannot earn higher wages than what his union contract specifies. Holding Back American Productivity: This “seniority ceiling” keeps union members from …
A core belief of the hard core left is that free trade has killed American manufacturing and that increased protectionism is key to bringing it back. Harold Meyerson forwards this world view in today’s Washington Post: The loss of several million manufacturing jobs during the Bush presidency coincides with the first economic recovery in American history in which the average family’s income actually declined. … When you compare Obama’s economic positions to those of John McCain, this should be no contest. McCain has supported every offshoring, free-trade accord, past or …
