That’s globalization for ya – I immediately read that question in the stateside context, not international. How they do it in Japan? Again, since I still don’t know the answer (all the more obvious now) I’ll continue to fake it. My reading of native Japanese is that they would rather fall on their samurai swords than do anything that would suggest less than total support for the management of their company.

Not exactly your Scots-Irish mentality behind union history in this country.

And now back to my corner where I will practice not speaking for awhile.

Never speak or write before your first cup of coffee.

Obviously the biggest obstacle is the Right-to-Work statutes common in southern and western states that prohibit agreements requiring union membership as condition of employment.

I don’t know the answer to your question so I’ll fake it. But I *think* it is worker mentality. The modern plants present safe work environments, no children, no black lung disease, no 100-hr work weeks, so the need for labor representation is marginalized. My argument above is that it will come back, but that’s a moot hypothetical.

What I don’t know is the fine-print in the management by-laws that might prohibit union organization. I expect there is something discouraging in writing somewhere.

The financial news seems aligned in their opinion that “Detroit North” must follow the business model of “Detroit South” as described by several posters above. I agree. I’m also thinking that bankruptcy is the preferred option, with taxpayer money given directly to the dislocated employees to spend however they see fit.

Perhaps the pension fund should convert their unpaid pension debt into shares of the new company, along with other debt holders. Equity gets wiped out.

I’m in Alabama, a ‘right to work’ state, and in the last several years the big Mercedes plant went in near Tuscaloosa in the NW, Hyundai in the center just south of Montgomery on I-65, and massive new plant (Kia IIRC) is under construction off I-85 in the east near Auburn-Opelika. One of my wife’s best friends from high school has husband who is a machinist, and his non-union pay is good enough for him to commute 3hrs a day (roundtrip) from Auburn to the Hyndai plant. He is promised a job closer to home once the Kia plant is open.

Yes, new car factories are being built in the US, just not in big union states.

Also, about 40minutes north of here (I’m down in Mobile) German steel maker Thyssen-Krupp is doing a new $3billion mill.

Got it. Thanks for posting. You caught me cold with this concept – turning capital into dividends as a counterweight to “growing” government – at least in union-management business models that characterize Detroit – or possibly others as well? I need to assimilate this.