Thursday, November 7, 2019

Manufacturing Stalls


Despite the lower corporate tax rate, companies are slow to respond to Tariffs and return manufacturing operations back to the US. Of the 60,000 factories we lost, we have only restored 10,000 factories since 2017.

Labor Unions need to understand the part they played in the off-shoring of US manufacturing since the 1960s. The negativism, disruption, entitlement and negative contributions of unions must stop.

I recommend that they move toward becoming Guilds to concentrate on training.

Employment from early times was provided primarily from family businesses. Families were involved in farming, raising livestock and skilled trades they learned from their parents. Children from these families were the first apprentices. Later, non-family based Apprenticeships were based on interests, talent and skills. These were the middle class jobs.

Guilds were formed in the Middle Ages where skilled trades professionals and merchants met to learn from each other. These were Professional Associations formed by profession including merchants, stone masons, carpenters, bakers, shoe makers, weavers, leather makers, blacksmiths, miners, artists, scientists, architects, physicians and 100 others. Pay was based on skill.

Members of these Guilds paid dues to support the activities of each group and elected leaders to manage these funds according to the wishes of the members. This allowed Guilds to record and share “best practices” to ensure continual quality improvement and advance their technologies.


Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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