Harley Shaiken
Harley Shaiken
caught gave global key minimal preserved structural union
The union was caught in a global hurricane, and they managed to come out of it with minimal structural damage. They preserved key principles; they gave up some money.
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What's new about the global economy is First World productivity combined with Third World wages. That can create some real downward pressure on high-wage countries.
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I think this case is, in fact, a watershed. I think what it does is -- in the most dramatic way we've seen to date -- it introduces the wages of the global economy into Main Street in Michigan, Ohio and elsewhere,
blast economy eliminate furnace gains global seeks won
The global economy has become a blast furnace that seeks to eliminate many of the gains that steelworkers have won over the years.
airlines competition employers fierce global industries powerful pressures
You've got the pressures of the global economy, fierce competition in deregulated industries like airlines and powerful anti-union employers like Wal-Mart.
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These are very important findings that come at a critical moment in the immigration debate. What the study indicates is that if we view the contribution of immigrants to the total economy there may be important gains to all workers that have previously been ignored.
rhetoric time
The rhetoric is much different this time - this time they're really out to get each other.
cushion pain prevent stability successful
There's a cushion but it doesn't prevent the fall. It eases the pain but it's not the same as having the stability of a successful company.
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There's no other way to diplomatically frame it - there's an empty chair there.
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Fox and Chavez are both serving important domestic political purposes for each other.
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Caterpillar is a powerful symbol of this process. It dominates its field. It is one of America's largest exporters, and it is very profitable. If there ever was a company that could bring back the social contract of the mid-20th century, it is Caterpillar. But it chooses not to.
closing consequences enormous future losing major
Losing 30,000 jobs, closing 14 plants, has enormous consequences not just for the union, but for the future of their members. It is a major blow.
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Many companies are looking to roll back benefits, and benefits for retirees are at the top of the list. This decision says that while they may be first on the list, they may not be easy to cut.
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Miller has clearly chosen bankruptcy over collective bargaining to restructure the company. Delphi is using a bankruptcy judge to begin moving in the direction of Chinese wages and benefits.