Ford Motor Company's highest cost, next to raw materials, is
employee benefits, not salaries. You can blame collective bargaining
for that. Locally Geneva Steel shut own and the plants equipment was
sold to South Korea where it was newer and better than what they had.
The United Steelworkers contract allowed a sabbatical year with full pay
every seven years.
American technology and war damage aid built the looms and spinning
equipment that allowed the Japanese textile industry to get a huge jump
on the tired US equipment that produced the uniforms worn by the US
military in WWII. Thirty years ago we used to buy from US manufacturers
who were producing the shirts, slacks and suits in the US. Now we ship
a computer disc anywhere in the world to a "bundler" who uses US laser
technology to cut the garments and they pay pennies on the wages that
would be paid in the US to construct the clothing. That American
mainstay, Levi Strauss, used to make their jeans in San Francisco, then
El Paso and now completely in Mexico and other Central American
countries. Where do the big profits go? To the American stock holders.
There's a trade off but I don't like the way things are going!
Wes
On Jan 14, 2008, at 9:46 AM, Glen Barrett wrote:
> Back when all of the outsourcing started the unions fought it and
> lost. Hell
> they pay the farmers to not grow crops so we can buy the same stuff
> out of
> Mexico and let them cross the borders and steal from us and send the
> money
> home. In aerospace they had parts built all over the world for the
> planes
> and I assure you we got a lot of parts that needed hours of cleanup
> and re
> work before they could be used. That same for cheap Jap cars and now
> look
> they outsell all of the US cars.
> Done bitching
> Glen
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Keith Turk" <kturk@ala.net>
> To: "Bryan Savage" <b.a.savage@wildblue.net>; "List Land Speed"
> <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 9:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [Land-speed] American Engineering
>
>
>> Bryan I totally agree... and politically could jump all over
>> this ... but
>> best I let that dog lie...
>>
>> K
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