WRT the past paragraph- demanding higher wages with the backing of labor unions created a world where factory workers who, if you ever discussed ANYTHING with the ones who were working in the '60s and '70s, can't be called 'overly intelligent. Yes, many were, but mostly, the ones who were gung ho union mebmers were saying "They make millions on our backs" without a second's thought about who started the company, paid for the buildings, set up the company, pays for all kinds of things they never see and then, when the employees become so grateful for the higher than average wages go on strike, who feels the pain? The company feels it the most, followed by the workers who are paid a pittance by the union and maybe collecting unemployment until the strike ends. Who feels ABSOLUTELY no pain? The unions. The dues they collect funds future retirees and current expenses but at some point, which is NOW, the benefits end without the workers having any input while the unions carry on.
That leads to the effec from teh higher wages- higher prices for the goods they make. One of the gyujs my dad worked with at Harley-Davidson was one of the biggest PITA loudmouths I have ever met and the quote about "...on our backs" is something that little piss ant used to try to make his point but if someone saw his pickup, they would have seen a 'Buy Union' bumper sticker on it. He drove a Toyota, before Toyota built factories in the US.
High prices make people want more money from their job and it's a never-ending cycle. People bitch about foreign manufacturing, but they'll also stop at nothing to find the lowest prices.
