[Mr.Kimball]

Ronald Reagan wanted to reduce the power of the unions, which he saw as an impediment to growth. When Reagan broke up the air traffic controllers' union, it really changed the framework for labor relations. The ATC's were government employees, and when they were fired, it gave private employers a green light to also fire striking workers and hire permanent replacements. A number of major corporations adopted that policy, which deeply weakened unions. Workers became reluctant to strike, because they feared losing their jobs. As a corrolary, when unions are strong, workers are well positioned to say that if productivity grows 2 percent this year, they are going to get something like a 2 percent increase in wages. But as unions lose strength, gains in productivity didn't translate into wage growth. Workers were not powerful enough to demand their share. Instead the benefits of all that productivity increasingly went to those at the top.

Demand their share? And what share do they have the right to demand? Just because they want it? Is that how it's supposed to be? Your acting like it's a right of passage or something. It's not they that are putting forth the capital of investment, etc., etc. What if there is a decrease in productivity? Should they be held accountable for that and take an associated cut when that happens too? Shouldn't it work two ways, if that's what your saying? Yet it never does.

The great thing about living in America CM (at least for the time being anyways), is that nobody has to work anyplace where they dont like where they are at. Nobody holds a gun to anybody and forces anybody to work anywhere. Every American citizen that does not like their job, does not like the pay, does not like the hours, or does not like the benefits is free to seek other employment if they want to. Nobody in this country is forced to put up anything that they may view as crap. Employers should also have the freedom to hire or deny employment for what ever reason they wish. After all it's their money at stake.




Are you still not going to acknowledge that the air controller's strike was illegal?