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Posted on 11/14/2005 8:36:58 AM PST by pabianice
...Two weeks ago The New York Times ran a predictably biased article bemoaning the decline of African-American union membership under the headline "Labor's Lost: For Blacks, A Dream in Decline." Here is an excerpt (reg req):
"Immigration, retirement, automation, the shifting of work overseas, low seniority and privatization have all played a role in the lopsided decline of unionized jobs held by African-Americans. That decline is especially noticeable in manufacturing and the federal government, two strongholds of black employment that have gone through cutbacks in union workers in recent years.
"The cutbacks are particularly severe in the auto industry. In addition to the latest problems at G.M., Ford Motor said Thursday that it would soon announce ''significant plant closings.''
"The impact on blacks has gradually drawn the attention of labor leaders, including John J. Sweeney, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. ''The percentage of black workers who have been knocked out of union jobs is one of the little-known tragedies of the last five years,'' he said..."
When has union Federal employment ever gone down in the last 50 years???? About the only thing I can think of is when Clinton cut the US military by 40%, and claimed he had "shrunk" the federal government...
Would that be the same "AFL-CIO" that tried valiantly for many years to exclude blacks from membership?
Might be time to explain to the members that education is the new requirement for work in this country, John; "just showing up" means you're competing with Mexicans, Chinese,...
I wonder if Ford will still honor the warranty on my recently-purchased Mercury Montego once the Japs and the Germans take over the auto industry?
I did some contract work for GM in the seventies. The meetings were amazing. There were more layers of management in the engineering lab than in the federal government. Politics ruled the day. Power corrupted every aspect of vehicle design.
In 1979 I worked for a computer consulting company. I visited GM headquarters in MI for some interviews. I arrived early so I stopped at the sandwich shop in the building lobby. It was filled with sallow-faced, scowling, middle-aged men. When the waiter took one guy's order, he threw his menu at him and snarled, "took you long enough!" fear and loathing was palpable. When I did the interview with several GM VPs, they became angry and sullen when I told them that the article I was writing would not mention them by name. The entire experience of being at GM headquarters was depressing and alarming. And that was 26 years ago.
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We share a common experience. There were some very talented engineers in the lab but inertia held them hostage.
That settles it. If it hurts Blacks and Women we just wont allow them to go bankrupt.
If you are going to lie, lie big.
Toyota builds it's cars in the US, employs Americans to do the building, has no labor unions and they are doing just fine.
Cry me a river.
A lot of the jobs that African-Americans held in the government that were union jobs have been outsourced over the years. Many of the employees are now working for the the contractors, but they tend not to be union.
That being said, I always heard that the government is one of the unions' strongest growth areas.
"I did some contract work for GM in the seventies. The meetings were amazing. There were more layers of management in the engineering lab than in the federal government."
Your 70s meetings no doubt resulted in the design of the fabulous Aztek, and the decision to cancel the Camaro/Firebird.
GM continues to use motors from the 70s.
GM continues to use quality from the 70s.
First week of December GM is supposed to announce some huge closures.
Imagine how it is now, full of affirmative action and politically correct junior officers and middle-management. In corporations it's 100 times worse than it was 30 years go. Only the strength of capitalism allows corporations to survive now. And when the older generation---men who came up in a day of accountability, without multi-culti, diversity, etc.---at the top retires, we're all in trouble.
One thing overlooked here that I would agree with: young blacks in technical, computer and engineering fields are hit disproportionately hard by Indian and Asian immigrants and outsourcing because companies can meet diversity and minority-hiring guidelines---necessary for gov't contracts and for enormous PC pressure that exisits withing organizations now---by hiring Indians, effectively eliminating the need to ever hire a black person for these jobs.
For the companies, it's a twofer, heck a threefer: they meet diversity guidelines; they save money; and they assuage their white- and American-guilt by hiring those poor dark people suffering around the world due to US greed (you've got to understand how important that is to people educated in our colleges and universities.)
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