Hi Lee -
"Mish is not calling out all unions. His focus is on public unions."
This post by Mish is focused on a private-sector union fighting globalism: Message 26320359
In his derogatory attack, Mish does NOT refer to the facts:
"However, former Inco executives said the company was consistently profitable at similar nickel prices just a few years ago.
“They just want to break the union. They want to completely hit the reset button on the entire labour situation and the agreements that have been put in place in the past,” said a former Inco executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity."
theglobeandmail.com
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You state: "In the public sector, the only thing that causes management to negotiate hard is public outcry."
Exactly! Just what I have been saying... the reason these bad agreements exist is the stupidity and incompetence of management.
"Bad agreements - terrible contract. Who is to blame? Who's to blame when a sports team signs bad players? When they get a long-term contract that costs the team a fortune? Blame the players? Their agents?
Nope. Management."
Message 26328575
Voters better get ON these fools! They've sold the farm; they're the same sort of lazy, incompetent management that led GM into a steady downward spiral - not only in manufacturing and commerce, but in untenable union agreements.
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If you think I'm supporting bad agreements, think again:
"So despite all the hand-waving and angst, there is a simple remedy: negotiate - hard! If they strike for unreasonable demands, don't give in!
Is that so difficult? Hard to understand?"
Message 26328394
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You seem to have missed it, though I've said it several times: public-sector union agreements MUST be brought into alignment with new economic realities. Absolutely true. I've always said so.
But don't blame the unions for acting in a lawful and economically rational manner. If you want fair agreements, you've gotta be tough. You must bargain, and bargain hard. If you don't have good negotiators, then hire some. This ain't no tea party. If management doesn't have good negotiation skills, they'll get hammered. So they better check their egos at the door, because unions bargain hard. If management can't take the heat, then they should damn well stay out of the kitchen.
Blame the idiots who had neither the courage nor the intelligence to negotiate in the public interest. They failed in their duty. They should be fired.
Every last one of them.
Jim |
