Quote:No, I don't think so...  The ability to collectively bargain may have some to do with it...  But Labor costs have been stagnant for at least 2 decades.  So I think the major player is driven by basic economic principles.   There is lower demand for jobs in America.  There is a high supply of workers in America.  The demand sets the price for wages.  Because there are so many people fighting for only a few jobs, the wages are lowered here.

 

And again, the reason why all these manufacturing jobs have left is because of free trade with 3rd world and developing countries where wages are pennies on the dollar.

 

I can agree that labor costs have been stagnant, but part of the problem is that there isn't really a lower demand for jobs in America, it's that the jobs are not being filled by Americans.  Here is a very good example of what I am talking about.  Regarding this news story, I am actually (gasp) on the side of the unions.  $300 million dollars in federal stimulus money goes to firms that are partnered and/or owned by foreign companies, in this case Korea.  They brought in Korean workers to fill the jobs.  They purchased mainly Korean supplies and equipment.  Again, this was stimulus money that was supposed to create thousands of jobs as part of the "green energy" initiative of the current administration.

 

Oddly enough, this story was never broadcast on CBS other than their website.  It was also never picked up by any of the "main stream" media.  I wonder why that is?

---