The day that destroyed the working class and sowed the seeds of Trump

New York Post ^ | September 16, 2017 | Salena Zito

[MilesVeritatis]

CAMPBELL, Ohio — Forty years ago, on Sept. 19, thousands of men walked into the Campbell Works of Youngstown Sheet and Tube along the Mahoning River before the early shift.

Like every fall morning, they were armed with lunch pails and hard hats; the only worry on their minds was the upcoming Pittsburgh Steelers game on “Monday Night Football.” The only arguing you heard was whether quarterback Terry Bradshaw had fully recovered from the dramatic hit he took from a Cleveland Browns player the season before.

It was just before 7 a.m., and the fog that had settled over the river was beginning to lift. As the sun began to streak through the mist, the men made their way into the labyrinth of buildings where they worked.

In the next hour, their lives would change forever.

From then on, this date in 1977 would be known as Black Monday in the Steel Valley, which stretches from Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio eastward toward Pittsburgh. It is the date when Youngstown Sheet and Tube abruptly furloughed 5,000 workers in one day.

The bleeding never stopped.

[jjotto]

Comparison

1968 Olds Cutlass 3500 lbs

newer Camry 3400 lbs

Hyundai Equus 4600 lbs

[Alberta's Child]

You're looking at numbers without the context of the underlying economic forces that drive them.

In 2001 the first Baby Boomers were reaching the age of 55. In 2011 they were 65, and now in 2017 the last of the Baby Boomers is reaching the age of 53. Our population is comprised increasingly of people who are simply no longer productive in many jobs even though they may be counted in the "civilian non-institutional population" for labor force purposes.

Your numbers also don't account for the impacts of automation on labor needs as the population grows. Simply put, I have said for years that this country's capacity to produce things far exceeds our ability to consume them -- which leads to the obvious question of what happens when we no longer need the employment base to support our own population?

[bert]

For your enlightenment, a problem with poor quality steel is not a manufacturing problem but rather a purchasing problem.

Interestingly enough, I noted above that American steel distributors buy from all over. They don’t buy steel or steel products like pipe or fittings from China. To reiterate and make the point, they buy steel meeting the various ASTM specifications.

It is noteworthy that while none comes from China, There is to me at least, lots from India.

[central_va]

We import almost $1T/yr more than we export. We are not producing all we need. We are consuming and borrowing.

[bert]

-—parents and grandparents did fine -—

That fact is irrelevant.

Then is not now.

I know it is impossible for you to comprehend, but things change

[DoughtyOne]

Wrong!

Thanks.

[Alberta's Child]

Very interesting -- and not surprising. The Bethlehem Steel documentary I described in an earlier post actually suggested that the one turning point in history that started the decline of the steel industry in the U.S. was the construction of the World Trade Center in New York City. The steel industry had enjoyed a great post-WW2 boom in the U.S. as it met the growing demands for steel from two major groups of customers: (1) the auto industry, and (2) heavy contractors who were constructing steel bridges and skyscrapers all over the U.S.

The bids that came in for the WTC project were so high that the project owners took a close, hard look at every line item in the cost estimate and comparing these costs to other similar projects around the world at the time. They realized that the U.S. steel was very expensive compared to the same quality materials on other projects, so they went back to the bidding contractors and told them to consider using foreign steel in their bids.

This closely coincides with the time period you described in your post.

[bert]

Well of course you are right, you have listed several of the factors other than excessive union wages and benefits that contribute to the noncompetitive condition in steel manufacturing .

You failed to note however, that the factors listed are desirable by the American people. That is, Americans have eliminated pollution by eliminating some of the sources. Also, Americans do not dislike and even favor products and commodities like steel that are inexpensive and manufactured elsewhere.

The mills were closed and the jobs ended by consensus of the American people acting through the American political system

[central_va]

The only thing that changed is the selling out of the USA by globalist traitors like you to make a buck.

[Alberta's Child]

I didn't say we DO produce all that we need. My point is that we have the capacity to produce everything we need -- and more. We simply don't have the demand for everything we can produce.

[bert]

Making a buck is the American way.

The business of America is business.

Profits are the reason for a capitalist society.

Your anti business rhetoric is actually anti American rhetoric

[Garth Tater]

"The mills were closed and the jobs ended by consensus of the American people acting through the American political system"

Here, let me fix that for you:

The mills were closed and the jobs ended by a corrupt, bought-and-paid-for political system.

Big business, as epitomized by the Chamber of Commerce, bought the votes they needed to allow this to happen. The American people were too busy working and trying to make ends meet to take the time to educate themselves on this subject - to their detriment.

[central_va]

I want Americans making products for their fellow Americans to buy and enjoy. Just like our founding fathers envisioned.

[1Old Pro]

Same thing happened all over the Northeast. General Electric and a large steel and locomotive company in Schenectady NY once employed 50-60,000 - now just a handful.

Not only did the median income become stagnated, the once stay at home moms were forced into the marketplace to make up the financial difference for families. This caused the domino effect on the family, as the supervision and guidance declined at home.

The libs destroyed a lot in this country.

[1Old Pro]

The newly formed company was headquartered in Schenectady, New York.[2] Samuel R. Callaway left the presidency of the New York Central Railroad to become president of Alco.[3] When Callaway died on June 1, 1904,[4] Albert J. Pitkin succeeded him as president of Alco.[5]

In 1904, the American Locomotive Company acquired control of the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; this company was eventually renamed the Montreal Locomotive Works. In 1905, Alco purchased Rogers Locomotive Works of Paterson, New Jersey, the second largest locomotive manufacturer in the United States behind Baldwin Locomotive Works.[2]

In the post World War II period, Alco operated manufacturing plants only in Schenectady and Montreal, having closed all the others. After the American Locomotive Company ceased locomotive manufacturing in the United States in 1969, Montreal Locomotive Works continued to manufacture locomotives based on Alco designs.

Steam locomotives[edit]

Milwaukee Road 261, a 1944 American 4-8-4 steam locomotive
Alco was the second-largest steam locomotive builder in the United States (after Baldwin), producing over 75,000 locomotives (though not all were steam, since, unlike Baldwin, Alco transitioned more readily to Diesel). Among these were a large number of well-known locomotives. Railroads that favored Alco products included the Delaware & Hudson Railway, the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, the New York Central Railroad, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Southern Pacific. Alco was known for its steam locomotives of which the 4-6-4 Hudson, 4-8-2 Mohawk and the 4-8-4 Niagara built for the New York Central and the 4-8-4 FEF and the 4-6-6-4 (Challenger) built for the Union Pacific were fine examples. Alco built many of the biggest locomotives ever constructed, including Union Pacific’s Big Boy (4-8-8-4).

[JoeFromSidney]

Summer of 1951. I had a Summer job at Republic Steel in Warren, Ohio. I saw the operations of the United Steel Workers first-hand. Even without imports, the steel companies would have died. The USW would have killed them anyway. Car bodies would probably be made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic or magnesium or some such material, made by a non-union factory.

Unions may demand higher wages, but if they kill the industry you work in, your wage is zero.

[bert]

Ha..... The war of 1812 and Jefferson’s war against the Barbary pirates were all about the sea lanes and American trade.

America has been about trade since day 1, just as the founding fathers envisioned.

[central_va]

Are you implying that the USA of 1812 was not a protectionist country. Really? You are that ignorant of US history?

[rb22982]

The taxes are right. The first $58k of income before deductions is taxed at 4% or lower in CA (which is actually less than NC/SC where I live).

Assuming 10% down, you're probably looking at $30-$35k all in housing cost including utilities/taxes/insurance at $500k properties per year, which would be very difficult to swing for most families, but would be possible.

[rb22982]

Most younger folks aren’t getting married either. Far more likely to have 2-3 roommates and rent in markets like SF>