Japanese automakers filled the gap with high-quality small cars, the forerunners of a growing world economy. Loss of market was an immense challenge for the union, but another was a change in the character of its membership. They want more from life than to be treated like a piece of machinery, so they expect their union to be with them. Slowly, unions and bosses realized that the old adversarial relationships had become a competitive liability. Today, the challenge for unions is to protect members while allowing companies to unleash their brain power.
Employers have an option to expand in our country or relocate overseas.
Companies will not invest in areas where labor relations is in such a high adversarial state that much of the time is spent on strike or trying to resolve problems. This is a whole new ballgame, and if the unions are going to protect the interests of their members, they have to learn to work more cooperatively with management. Detroit News Staff Writers Sheri Hall and April Taylor contributed to this report. The Detroit News We welcome your comments .