Originally Posted by Guest

in Louisville, KY.
In 1965 there were 11,00 employees, 6 huge manufacturing buildings (one for each major appliance)....a 1.5 million square foot warehouse. Lead market share in almost every product. And of course fully unionized.
That 11,00 grew to almost 24,000 in the late 70's. The pride was these were some of the few products still designed and made in America. Satellite plants in Milwaukee, Ft. Smith , etc.
More strikes than you can shake a stick at....sweepers in the 70's were pushing $20 per hour!!!!!!!!

Fast forward....all those buildings are still there. Of course they are empty. All the satellite plants are gone.
The total employment in Louisville is less than 5,000....all office and administration.
There is NO manufacturing. And this past summer Jeff Immelt (GE/CEO) announced the appliance business was for sale.

Not so slowly, the union wages drove this multi billion, leadership role in appliances in the world, bastion of manufacturing excellence into oblivion.

The unions have had the same effect on the automotive business over the years, almost eliminating manufacturing except for the remaining assembly plants.

I was in the machine tool business as well and at their peak there were more than 900 machine tool manufacturing companies in the US. In the late 80's that number was down to less than 200!!!!!

Now that the union has been suffering from lack of membership, is it any wonder they are sharpening their sights on retail and service businesses.
And yes, that too will deteriorate into oblivion as well.

I guess union executives are a lot like politicians...they are not in it for the people.

This country was always able to be a world leader because of the manufacturing base. It is now in the throws of becoming a retail and service provider only.

So when people talk about the paltry number of lost jobs that are so news worthy in the media these days.....where was everybody while all these other businesses were being wiped out??? Never mind it was a rhetorical question.

No manufacturing....increasing dependence on manufacturing from outside the US....increasing dependence on foreign energy suppliers.

This country has been on the skids for the last 40 years and nobody has done squat about it. So if there is legislation to help the unions then y'all better pay attention to who IS supporting it.

I feel sorry for my grandchildren, great grand children and their continuences because they will never ever enjoy the quality of life we all have....nor will they live in a country that was as standing tall as we had.

There were certainly more talented leaders at the helm in the past 40 years.....and they ALL....they ALL let it happen!

Why should anybody believe the current round of lip moving politicians are going to change anything?

Sorry for the lengthy speel but next to the silent majority my next favorite subject is what unions have done to manufacturing in this country.

BTK