unions driving the cost of labor up
For the entire U.S. economy, only 12.5% of wage and salary workers were union members in 2005. So it is not just unions. How about regulations, taxation, litigation, and health care? All of these make us not competitive with the 3rd world, slave labor countries we compete against. I don't like unions and have never been in a union, but it is a lazy argument for the uniformed. Not all manufacturing is car building. That is an industry where the union and bad bargaining by management has created its demise.
"How about regulations, taxation, litigation, and health care? All of these make us not competitive with the 3rd world, slave labor countries we compete against. "
All good points that the author of the aritcle should have mentioned.