Just An Average Joe: Requiem to the American Worker

This article should probably be posted on Labor Day. But, with the economic situation in the world today and what I feel is, the unjust criticism of the American Worker, I am speaking out today. Just for the record, I am in my 40th year of my working career. I started in a factory when I was 16 years old. (Yeah, you could work in a factory at that age when I was younger) Through the years I supported and raised a family, educated myself and advanced to the Management Level I have achieved today. I was a member of the Teamsters Union, the Steelworkers Union and more recently was a President of a Local Warehouse and Chauffeurs Union twice elected. I have been involved with contract negotiations representing a Union and as a Management Representative for a Corporation. I am presently a Manufacturing Supervisor that, at times involves over 70 people on shift, between two buildings within our facility. This is why I feel as strongly as I do today, about the unfair blame, being placed on the American Worker for the failure of our Corporations and the economy.

Just about every Corporation in this country has a Millionaire at the helm. Some of these people may have moved up through the ranks but, more than likely, they have obtained their positions due to family status or education brought on by Social Standing, established by their parents. Many, if not all Corporate Leaders, will never have to struggle if their companies fail due to the elitist society they are a member of. However, all of these individuals and mostly all of the wealthy, of this country, would never have been able to obtain their wealth and stature if it was not for the sweat and hard work of the American Worker. Even if the wealth is gained through investments, any kind of growing economy would be nothing if, it was not for the lower and middle class of our society, providing the working backbone needed to succeed.

General Motors is ready to announce their Bankruptcy Filing. They place quite a bit of blame on the cost of labor. Forget the fact that, if GM had started investing in newer technologies as early as 10 years ago, maybe they could still build bigger vehicles that would get far superior gas mileage and would be selling today. But instead, Corporations put profits in the short term, over future gain. They would rather strip the American Worker, who they depend on, from any benefits and compensation to hide the fact of poor business decisions and practices. Our Politicians, in particular from the Republican Party, are just as culpable. The GOP has Tea Parties about taxes yet, would cut the throat of the American Worker, to satisfy their parties base which, is the wealthy and corporate elite, in this country.

Last month, I referenced the Greed is Good speech, from the 1987 Movie Wall Street, in an article about capitalism. Since then, I noticed Chris Mathews referring to it on his show, Hardball about a week ago and recently in the Manley Republic blog. The following is the speech, in its entirety, taken from an article posted on the Manley Republic;

Well, ladies and gentlemen we’re not here to indulge in fantasy but in political and economic reality. America, America has become a second-rate power. Its trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions. Now, in the days of the free market when our country was a top industrial power, there was accountability to the stockholder. The Carnegies, the Mellons, the men that built this great industrial empire, made sure of it because it was their money at stake. Today, management has no stake in the company! All together, these men sitting up here own less than three percent of the company. And where does Mr. Cromwell put his million-dollar salary? Not in Teldar stock; he owns less than one percent. You own the company. That’s right, you, the stockholder. And you are all being royally screwed over by these, these bureaucrats, with their luncheons, their hunting and fishing trips, their corporate jets and golden parachutes.
Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year. Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do, and I still can’t figure it out. One thing I do know is that our paper company lost 110 million dollars last year, and I’ll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth between all these vice presidents. The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I’ve been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars.
I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
http://www.manlyrash.com/blog/greed-is-good

I have referred to this speech because I believe Hollywood was sending a message. I believe the message was that our corporations were taking their eye off the ball. It is the decisions being made at the corporate level that is destroying our economy and way of life. Not the American Worker who gives of themselves through the sweat and hard work given day after day. Now, I am not saying the American Worker is a Saint. There are your bad apples in every group. But, the overall value and pride the American Worker brings to the table, is unfairly being criticized, distorted and misrepresented.

Now, I have called out the Republican Party but, the Democrats are as much to blame. Our Politicians, from both parties, tout their champion of the American Worker, while selfishly indulging in inflated salaries with benefits that are denied to the worker that is so coveted. To cater to a World Economy, treaties to foreign countries have been made by administrations from both political parties that have proven to sacrifice and undermine the very fiber of our nation’s workforce.

To the Wealthy and Corporate America, I say stop blaming the American Worker for the woes of today’s economy and take a close look in the mirror. For there, is where, the problem truly lies. Yes, Greed is Good, providing it is not used to benefit and enrich the few, while possibly irreparably damaging the many. Every day, I work side by side with my fellow workers and proudly, use all of our skills to make the highest quality product at the most economical cost available. I defy any workforce on this planet to prove they are better. Sure, the labor is cheaper. But, compared to any product made on this planet, in the final analysis, there is nothing produced better in this world, than when it is; Made in the USA.

That’s How I See It.