I am not sure that is quite right Butters. The Union called the 120 Service mechanics out on Strike and other Unions particularly Dock workers supported that. However, the target group, Tesla's 120 Service mechanics (at least initially) ignored the Unions request to strike and worked as usual. The Tesla mechanics were asked by Swedish media about their lack of support and responded, firstly, that they were already better paid than equivalent Unionized workers of the same age (Tesla Mechanics are significantly younger than the industry standard in Sweden) Secondly they currently get Stock options which they will lose if they join a Union.
thankyou for that correction of information, ishtat
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/com...31&cvid=0da54f17e9c041adb684295427b0512d&ei=5
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/com...31&cvid=02147de5e9594a36a1d3211ea49781df&ei=9
Oooopppsss.....
Ford production workers in Kentucky vote against UAW labor deal
ABC|54 minutes ago
Production workers across two Ford plants in Louisville, Kentucky, voted against a tentative agreement that ended a weekslong strike, a local chapter of the United Auto Workers said on Facebook late Sunday night.
Yah, I'm curious on how the union will react and proceed.
I suspect that the workers have worked it out that in 5 years time 70% of them will not have a job at all. There is going to be a revolution in vehicle assembly with robots directed by AI doing the vast majority of the work putting together parts substantially made overseas. In 2008/9 GM and Chrysler took $19 Billion of taxpayer funds to survive and promised the workers a better deal in better times. That deal never materialized in 2015/2016 with record profits lining executive pockets. Despite massive further Green subsidies the legacy companies have done no fundamental research and development for years; their products are just re-hashes of old stuff. The charade will hold up until November 2024, after which this massive con job will fall apart. Americans are paying way over the odds for out-dated locally made products massively subsidized by the tax-payer.
I always wonder how businesses can survive with that type of model. The ending result is that less people exist who can afford the product, which, in turn lessens the demand which lessens the supply...rinse.repeat
I agree 100% about unions being vital going forward. However, capitalism will try to use AI to reduce the workforce and workers' wages, and increase corporate profits. It doesn't know how to operate any other way in this regard. It will never use AI to reduce the working week along with increased workers' wages and social security, which would be the sane, humane, logical and progressive thing to do. Only socialism could do that. Workers' controlling their workplaces and the commanding heights of the economy is vital. How can we plan what we don't control? How can we control what we don't own? The way things are at the moment, billions of people are subject to the whims of institutions like Wall Street and Silicon Valley, with its tiny super rich clique.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/new...31&cvid=dd568e8cb2214ad583e8e5c3e85d62c2&ei=7
I wish that yours and R Rebeccas hopes prevail, but ultimately I cannot see how the US Taxpayer can continue to fund/subsidise these companies indefinitely. Take for example the recent decision to guarantee a loan of $9.2 billion to Ford and the SK Battery company of South Korea. It will only generate 7500 jobs over two plants to make a product which is already behind technically and cost wise the batteries made by either CATL or BYD. If 7,500 jobs did materialize there is very little chance they could produce a fraction of the power units required to reach Joe Bidens target of 50% EV's by 2030.
Something called capitalism is why. It will only use AI to increase corporate profits, reduce workers' salaries, ship jobs to cheap labor areas, and make the workforce that remains work all the harder. That's all capitalism knows how to do. If they are threatened with losing power from organized labor, then they'll make concessions to stave off rebellions, but they will always seek to take them back in the future. Any rights that we currently have today came from such rebellions from labor.
There's 3 ways that AI could go, as far as I can see:
a previous, tentative deal offering a 19% pay rise (plus other considerations) was soundly rejected and the members went on strike.
meanwhile, at GM, Ford and Stellantis:
Walmart, along with a slew of other companies are removing self checkouts. A because of more theft, and B because people want to deal with people.
One thing you forget about Capitalism, is that it is driven by the consumer, if the consumer doesn't buy, then it doesn't matter if the company got rid of it's employee's and went full automated. No customers equals no profit.
It is driven by big business profit, i.e. what the billionaires want, and at our expense. It's in our interests to have well paid jobs, universal healthcare, affordable housing for all, the best education systems, always having financial security with a minimum income. The establishment deliberately stop that happening.
The economy should be made to serve the working class and middle class majority, not the billionaires. The only way to do that is through nationalization and workers' control of workplaces and of the commanding heights of the economy. We can't plan what we don't control, and we can't control what we don't own.
