Quote from: Jutarul on September 21, 2012, 02:34:39 AM

Quote from: myrkul on September 21, 2012, 02:31:12 AM

Quote from: Jutarul on September 21, 2012, 01:58:59 AM

Quote from: myrkul on September 21, 2012, 01:38:37 AM

The answer, of course, is free markets. Yes, some businessmen are going to have more individual power than their workers. That's what collective bargaining is for.

So you are in favor of labour unions?

Why would I not be? Labor unions provide the individual worker with the bargaining power of the whole group. It's a great way to make sure the workers get fair treatment. As long as this doesn't get out of hand.

I see. So any practical suggestions for establishing a balance of power for bargaining positions?

The solutions are suggested in the problems. Don't let the union control the entire profession. The AMA's (legislated, btw) stranglehold on the medical profession is limiting entry into the field, which in turn creates a scarcity of medical professionals, which in turn increases the rates they can charge. Open the market, and that problem goes away.

The UAW's control over the entire US automotive industry nearly killed it. It wasn't until foreign companies started opening factories in non-union states that the industry started getting back on it's feet. And, I might add, revitalized the economies in those areas. Scabs (non-union workers), in other words, provide a much needed counter-pressure, to keep the unions from controlling the whole labor market.