Re:Wage Theft is a Bigger Problem Than Other Forms of Theft ...
by wpietri on Saturday June 02, 2018 @08:11PM
(#17217146)
I'm sure some of it is propaganda, but I think it's also an artifact of very adversarial management/labor splits that were more common in the past. If management is full of exploitative dicks, it's not surprising that the unions would also think in a zero-sum fashion.
It's on the NUMMI plant. GM's worst plant was shut down; Toyota took it over as part of a joint venture to show GM how to make cars in the Toyota way. The story of the workers and how they change as they work for an employer that treats them with respect is amazing.
It definitely made me believe that unions indeed could be shitty. But also, that it's not a one-sided thing, and that other relationships are not just possible, but necessary if we're going to make things that are more useful and reliable than a '79 Chevette.
There's a fantastic This American Life that I've recommended here before: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/561/nummi-2015
It's on the NUMMI plant. GM's worst plant was shut down; Toyota took it over as part of a joint venture to show GM how to make cars in the Toyota way. The story of the workers and how they change as they work for an employer that treats them with respect is amazing.
It definitely made me believe that unions indeed could be shitty. But also, that it's not a one-sided thing, and that other relationships are not just possible, but necessary if we're going to make things that are more useful and reliable than a '79 Chevette.