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From: mjk@tty3b.UUCP (Mike Kelly)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Unions, Management and Japan : Reply to Jeff Sonntag
Message-ID: <609@tty3b.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 16-Feb-85 19:31:12 EST
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Posted: Sat Feb 16 19:31:12 1985
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Another argument re: Japanese competition is that it was U.S. postwar
policy that allowed the Japanese and the Germans to get where they are
today.  Basically, the U.S. made the decision that it was in its
security interests to have strong friendly powers in Europe and the
Far East, so they allowed these nations to play outside the normal
rules of international markets.  In the case of Europe, it was the massive
subsidy for rebuilding of the industrial plant.   In the case of Japan,
it was not only that, but also a pass on international trade parity.
Japan was allowed to maintain very strong control of its internal
markets while having free access to markets in the U.S.  

The arguments Jeff Sonntag raised in his note are the familiar anti-union
cant.  Productivity among unionized
workers is higher than among non-unionized workers, and the wage
differentials, as Tim Severner began to point out, are greatly exaggerated
for political reasons in the U.S.  Never factored in are the value of job
security and  practically free vacations that the U.S. worker doesn't get.

Furthermore, if you want to blame unions for our troubles, you must explain
why other countries with much higher rates of unionization do quite well
economically.   And some do not nearly as well.  The unions do not seem to
be a determining factor of industry health.

Mike Kelly