This page was last updated on July 27, 2011.
Unions versus corporations; Doug Piatt; Beaver County Times; July 27, 2011.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“It seems like the thing going around nowadays is bullying, about how Americans are sick and tired of kids bullying other kids.
“The same can be said of big corporations versus all unions.
“Americans are OK with corporations going overseas for jobs or getting bought out by foreign-owned companies, while we struggle to make ends meet.
“The unions have lost their power, while foreign-owned companies have increased theirs.”
[RWC] Sure. That’s why the NLRB ruled Boeing can’t increase its capacity by adding jobs in South Carolina. South Carolina is a right-to-work state and the facility would likely be nonunion, though there’s nothing to stop employees from unionizing if that’s what they want.
“Things need to change, and change now.
“Give power back to our unions. They are the only ones with our best interests, not the companies.”
[RWC] “Give power back to our unions?” Above the power to control where companies can build assembly plants? Above the power to force employees to join a union and pay dues as a condition of employment?
Labor union management is in the organizing business to raise campaign funds for leftist politicians. There’s a reason 93% of labor union management PAC contributions to federal candidates (over $62 million) went to Democrat candidates in 2010.
“We need to start standing up to these corporations. My only question to the big corporations is: How much is enough?”
[RWC] Businesses operating in the U.S. pay the highest tax rates out of the 31 OECD countries.
Businesses have a fiduciary responsibility to their owners (including you, me, and pension funds). This is true even for not-for-profit businesses. Businesses make the decisions they need to in order to survive and succeed. Otherwise, they close up shop and/or go into bankruptcy. Unlike the federal government, businesses can’t print money. Would Mr. Piatt prefer businesses continue to operate in the U.S. until they (we shareholders) go bust? Let’s say Mr. Piatt owns and/or runs a company with 1,000 domestic employees and despite his best efforts it’s about to go under. Let’s also say offshoring the jobs of 100 employees would save the other 900 jobs. What would Mr. Piatt do? Let’s say Mr. Piatt’s business uses steel to manufacture its products but can no longer compete using U.S.-produced steel. Would Mr. Piatt put his 1,000 employees out of work instead of buying less expensive foreign steel, possibly resulting in a loss of jobs at the domestic steel supplier?
Consider the following quote of Samuel Gompers: “The worst crime against working people is a company that fails to operate at a profit.” Mr. Gompers was a father of the American labor movement, founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and AFL president for 38 years until his death.
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