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“See, if you’re on top, it’s easy to think that what’s good for you is what’s good for the organization. In the short run it might even be—a company does better if it gets more work for less wages paid, or if it spends less on health and safety.
“In the longer run, though, workers do the work. Management doesn’t. If workers are sick, hurt, pissed off, or broke, they don’t work as well.”
As Papa’s daughter, I’m a pretty good debater myself, and cross ex is one of my strong points. “But then there’s no problem. Doesn’t the company have an interest in keeping the workers working?”
“Sure—but for as little as possible. Suppose a manager got us all to work two extra hours per day for half pay. Who would get the added profit?"
“NAC,” I admitted.
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to say. Management works for the employer, and at least in the short run your employer’s interests are exactly opposite yours. No matter how nice a guy your manager is, he still gets paid to be your enemy.
“But that’s not the whole story. Otherwise I suppose they just make slaves of us or we’d kill them. The fact is, they don’t dare win—because if they destroy the worker, who will make the product or buy it? The union limits how much management can win. So in a sense the union looks after the long run. Or justice, which might be the same thing. (en) |
