I agree, but is there a modern one?
B) The execs should have been planning for the future for the same period of time, at the very least they should have explored private equity markets before taking off in their private planes for DC.
My first reaction was "what a bunch of dummies". However, I'm not so sure anymore. They inherited labor agreements they can't get out from under. I noticed that Ford has indicated they are going to commit another Billion dollars to their Brazilian operations at the same time this bailout stuff has been going on.
IOW, the little 3 are making money overseas. They are investing in operations overseas. They are not looking to put anymore of their money in the USA. They must recognize that there is no way for them to make the changes here to be competitive.
They have to invent a new union. Quite simply, the old union model doesn’t take international competition, advances in technology and global markets into consideration.
Unions have to remain relevant to the industries in which they exist.
And yes, such a model exists (somewhat) in Japan.
And let’s be completely honest. All of the companies that are hailed as non-union here in the U.S. all have very strong unions in their home countries. Those firms wouldn’t dream of paying workers in their own countries what they pay U.S. citizens