In the old days, Unions had the power to achieve their objectives by shutting down the operation of the mill or factory, or threatening to do so. Nowadays, the unfortunate fact is that there is a global economy in place, and many companies are multi-national concerns who view labor as simply an intrinsic cost that, when it exceeds a given percentage of the bottom line, must be altered, eliminated, or moved. These corporations have no hesitation in moving their operations lock, stock, and barrel, to third world countries where labor is plentiful and cheap. The old confrontational style (raise our wage or we'll shut you down) no longer holds water. Unions should realize that they have a mutual vested interest with management in keeping their companies as profitable as possible. There also needs to be a perception that the talents required for unskilled assembly line work (bolting the left front wheel on Dodge Caravans) are not so rare that an hourly wage of 20 dollars can be justified.

Unions are confronting a different world than the one of 70 years ago, when American workers faced long hours of dirty and dangerous work to put slave wages in their pockets. The wage base is also much more white collar oriented, with workers performing unique and individual tasks, and negotiating their own salaries with management. The industrial-based economy has gradually been replaced by the entrepeneurial, information-based economy. These are presenting challenges which, I believe, Unions have thus far failed to address.