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A comment on The Decline of the U.S. Machine-Tool Industry and Prospects for Recovery (1994). Parent comment

Re:The Decline of the U.S. Machine-Tool Industry and Prospec... by bluGill on Tuesday April 08, 2025 @09:24PM (#43628055)
You missed one: the person they can pay is better. I have rebuilt engines, but my cars go a mechanic because it is done in a day not a month. I can texture drywall but I need a lot more practice before it looks even like it should. I know 'scabs' who did a job while the union was on strike - the union people were 10x faster for similer quality - give a few months and they would be that fast. (The strike didn't last that long)
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Re:The Decline of the U.S. Machine-Tool Industry and Prospec... by oceanplexian on Wednesday April 09, 2025 @02:06AM (#43629336)
It’s interesting you brought up scabs because other than a local service economy, the entire concept of a union can’t exist in a globalized economy. Companies will simply pay labor overseas in countries where organized labor is illegal.
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Re:The Decline of the U.S. Machine-Tool Industry and Prospec... by bluGill on Wednesday April 09, 2025 @06:49AM (#43630744)
Unions so long as they don't demand too much (normally money but could be other factors) can exist just fine. Experience is valuable as is having the factory close to the engineers. Local shipping helps. Automation means there are not many in the factory as well so you can pay more.
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