Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | M | Manufacturing & Technology News

In his own words: President Obama's new point man on manufacturing.

Article Excerpt
In late 2006, Ron Bloom, President Obama's new senior counselor for manufacturing policy, was a special staff assistant to the president of the United Steelworkers union. In the "Democratic Left" newsletter dated Fall 2006, Bloom authored an article entitled, "If I Ran the Zoo: A Win-Win Solution for the Steel Industry." In it, he presents his views on unions, management, American manufacturing, the trade deficit and some of what is required for industrial success. Here is a shortened version of that article:

[Steel]workers have spent far too much time in the last 20 years sharing the pain, but we recognize that to share the gain there needs to be gain to share.

The Steelworkers have some advice for industry execs on how to make sure there's plenty for both shareholders and workers. The theme of this advice will be really quite simple--be hardheaded and pragmatic capitalists--run the companies and actively participate in the political process on the basis of what is good for your shareholders, and not based on outmoded nostrums about unions, free enterprise, deregulation, free markets and free trade.

In today's world, the blather about free trade, free markets and the joy of competition is nothing but pablum for the...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!