> I enjoy driving in my American assembled pickup, setting in my American made
> furniture and I had no issues with paying more for it.


So; what ya gonna do when you find out that "American Made" pickup truck or whatever, was not in fact, made in America. I can't count the times lately, that I have purchased and American brand name item, only to open it up and find the words "Made in China". If I had only known, I wouldn't have bought it. Of course that's why they don't mention it on the package label.

My Chrysler minivan was made in Canada, with Japanese and Mexican parts. Who knew! That is - until I got stranded in Elco and had to wait a week for parts to be shipped from Canada. Before that I had a good old American Mercury; which I later found out was directly imported by Ford, lock stock and barrel, from Germany. Funny thing: both my Toyotas were actually built in the U.S. - one in Fremont, the other in Ohio. Go figure!

I spent half my life in the union. Worked hard to do my part too (shop steward, contract committees, etc). I can tell you without equivocation, that the seniority system ain't all its cracked up to be, either. It too, can be defined anyway they want. In fact, union bosses were constantly making back room deals that made so many loopholes, it was almost worthless - unless of course, you were one of their (union's) good ole boys. Union bosses have absolutely no motivation whatsoever to avoid corruption, except maybe a good heart (Ya - was I born yesterday or what!).

On the other hand - a corrupt boss rewarding someone other then his truly best workers, almost always trashes company efficiency and productivity. His days are inevitably numbered because he ends up hurting the company - natural selection will eventually take its course. But when a boss consistently does reward the best work, his bottom line improves. An employer does not need a good heart. Instead, the best behavior modification tool ever devised (Money), will definitely motivate a smart employer to define merit in real and objective ways.

So guys, I guess you get to choose between an almost certainly corrupt favoritism manipulating union seniority, or the mere potential of corrupt favoritism from the employer mis-defining merit.

I do know however, that after I finally got promoted beyond the union, very real improvements in financial security and job security came surprisingly quickly. I was then able to care about my job, work hard, and be well rewarded. Something I never could seem to accomplish while in the union - despite my being very active in it.

This is probably why most unions are in decline. And why the switch jobs in Richmond went they way they did. Too many people have discovered what I finally did midway through my career. I wish I had figured it out a lot sooner. I would've been that much better off now if I had.

Unions had better clean up their own act - start seeing to it that merit is rewarded - not just seniority or their own cronies - or they are done!

OPB