Perhaps you can then explain how a union actually HELPS a manufacturer - I can’t for the life of me see how work rules, (very) narrow work definitions, brainwashing workers to HATE their company and especially its management, and labor strikes actually HELP manufacturers, but maybe I’m missing something.
I’m not here to defend unions. You’re stating that unions are THE barrier to a return of domestic manufacturing. I pointed out that non-union manufacturing was utterly decimated in the south, even faster than union manufacturing. How, in your mind, does that equate with anything but a refutation of your claim? Clearly, manufacturing left because of ... trade policy. Unionized laggards were hamstrung for a time by union contracts but bailed out eventually just the same.