I'm committed to finding a better way.
We need strong, functioning, efficient unions, so here's my stab at it:
Let's say there are essentially four overall elements to a union contract (keeping this very basic): Current salaries & benefits, workplace rules, workplace safety and after-work benefits.
I would revise that to maintain current salaries & benefits and workplace safety requirements. I would remove the types of workplace rules that say this guy can't drive that truck, or that guy can't touch these tools. That's ridiculous and inefficient. I would also change retirement benefits to defined contribution/401K with plenty of guidance and safeguards (like annuities and target date mutual funds).
Competition, particularly global competition, has become too competitive for the traditional union structure, yet we still need them. But they have to change.
Thoughts?
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I'd like to take some time and think about it.
The problem has been, most of my life, that the unions get a lot of power and make it unprofitable for companies to operate. The attitude that we let big business control everything means suddenly jobs don't pay enough to live on.
Ironically, millions of Americans were brought up by parents that worked jobs that didn't take a tremendous amount of skill. Many people that are 30, 40 and beyond are the children of factory workers, steel workers, and manufacturing businesses.
Not everybody is going to be a Steve Jobs or a Bill Gates. I really don't have the answer. That is why I said, let's give the employer the option of paying higher taxes and hire whomever they want
OR pay lower taxes, pay decent wages, and hire Americans. Put a five year limit on the legislation and see what it tells us.
But, I won't marginalize your idea. Even if I don't agree with it at some point, I won't denigrate you or the idea since we're basically wanting the same end result.