I need help with a Facebook debate (How many times have you heard THAT before?) LOL

[LaydeeBug]

But this is a decent guy, just moved to the South while we were still kids and has been indoctrinated with all that "unions are bad" bullshit.

He alleges that Werner Ladder LEFT THE USA because they could not deal with the unions anymore.

(A bit of background: He said lots of companies are fleeing the country because of the all powerful unions, and I said, "Name them", and this is what he came back with.

After a long lonely spell (after having dealt with a lying cheat, who was, well, a lying cheat) I am finally going out with someone who *might* be nice. (Oh, the Laydee has been out on SEVERAL dates since this break-up, but none of them were nice. In fact, they were BAD, and that was INDEED, the point). LOL

Any help is greatly appreciated. I have to get gussied up. :)

[shraby]

1. Companies left the US to be able to hire workers for

less than a dollar an hour and to hire children for even less than that. Work them any number of hours they wanted to, claim losses of operating expenses here in the US and claim their profits in a country that they don't have to pay US taxes in. Simple as that.

[Gman]

2. So in a real sense, the guy is right

as union members as well as the rest of American workers will not work for that.

He could also say the minimum wage, child labor laws, and a host of other morally right worker protections here drove 'em off too. Doesn't make it right, but that's what they do now.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. This is a hard argument. The move had nothing to do with unions.

It had to do with cheap labor and no regulations in Mexico (along with NAFTA that has encouraged the exodus).

The hard part of the argument is that until many people feel the pinch in their own professions, they do not think it is a problem for a business to move.

I live in PA where the Werner plant was, and although the jobs were decent jobs, the employees were not getting rich on it. They were not overpaid. They were just not as underpaid as the Mexicans. This company as well as many many others in this area always made a good profit, even while they paid a living wage. At this time, a good profit is not good enough anymore.

Your only argument is that when we lose jobs in this country to a foreign company, these people no longer pay taxes, they are no longer productive, they tax the social safety nets, and we all lose.

Good luck with the nice guy. I had been dating a nice guy too, who also had these same attitudes, and I just could not get past that. Wishing you better luck.