ARE LABOR UNIONS THE REASON PENNSYLVANIA IS NOT AS PRODUCTIVE AS IT USED TO BE?

A piece by Chris Freind at PAWaterCooler declares that "Unions Are Lacking In Leadership," and makes the following observations about the state of organized labor in Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania is a prime example of what happens when greed trumps sound judgment and good business sense. The Keystone State was once the nation’s leading industrial powerhouse, a powerful magnet for companies to locate here, and with them the best and brightest workforce in America. Our children were educated here—and actually stayed in Pennsylvania because of the jobs created by a booming economy.

But now our biggest export is our children…how many recent college graduates are working in Pennsylvania? How many parents have to call long distance to talk with their children?

Pennsylvania’s manufacturing economy is little more than a distant memory. A hostile business climate has increased the cost of doing business here to the point that we are virtually dead last in America for job creation. The economic lights have already dimmed, and are in danger of going out forever.

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A 2002 study found that from 1970 to 2000, Right to Work states created 1.43 million manufacturing jobs. At the same time, non-Right to Work states lost 2.18 million jobs. (Wall Street Journal, June 2007).

A few anecdotal examples further drive his point home:

A classic example of organized labor’s death-wish occurred last year during the construction of Philadelphia’s tallest building, the Comcast Center Tower.

Comcast wanted to construct the tallest Green Building in the country, a prestigious designation bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Since part of the certification involves water conservation, the builder decided to use the increasingly popular waterless urinal, a move that would save 1.6 million gallons of water per year with no loss in sanitation. When the plumbers union piped up in opposition, and halted construction, Comcast was forced to pay for a traditional water pipe system, even though it would never be used.

That’s legalized extortion.

The same pattern holds throughout Philadelphia, with unions continuing to drive away. Ask the numerous Convention groups which have refused to return because of union behavior. And can any of us forget the debacle with MTV’s The Real World, where the film crew halted production and pulled up stakes due to unreasonable union demands and picketing?

Read the whole piece.

Also, from PA, Ala at Blonde Sagacity questions the Teamsters' federal lawsuit to enjoin the government from issuing permits to Mexican freight haulers.