They mean you. And here we are, the richest nation in the world, run by folks who intend to do nothing to mitigate the situation. Isn't collectively responding to forces no single individual can impact the whole point of a nation?
U.S. Labor Is in Retreat as Global Forces Squeeze Pay and Benefits
By David Streitfeld
Times Staff Writer
October 18, 2005
Workers at auto parts maker Delphi Corp. will be asked this week to take a two-thirds pay cut. It's one of the most drastic wage concessions ever sought from unionized employees.
Workers at General Motors Corp., meanwhile, tentatively agreed on Monday to absorb billions of dollars in healthcare costs. Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler employees are certain to face similar demands.
The forces affecting Delphi and GM workers are extreme versions of what's occurring across the American labor market, where such economic risks as unemployment and health costs once broadly shared by business and government are being shifted directly onto the backs of American working families.
Four years into an economic recovery, workers across America should be riding high. Instead, they're facing new demands to surrender hard-won benefits and agree to wage concessions. Companies say these cutbacks are essential to stay competitive in an increasingly globalized economy.
In recent weeks, there have been numerous examples — and they aren't limited to manufacturers.
