So Are We Ready to Decouple from China Now?!

[Chris-380]

Be aware when the US manufacturers were trying to cut costs in the 70's to be competitive with the Japanese entry into the US marketplace the unions would not budge and consequently a component of their own downfall and thus the beginning of the Asian influence. The Federal Government under Jimmy Carter brought new and ominous tax and regulative impacts to corporate America further putting the nail into American manufacturing. Much or our large mass production has gone to robotics even when shown in the short term manual labor was a better value to ensure a stable predictable "workforce". I'll give you an IBEW example - one of our larger projects in the aerospace sector (early 2000's) was piping and wiring a large assembly structure; about a $12M electrical contract. The union agreement was such that when an electrician was more than two steps up on a ladder he received "high pay" which was 1.25 X rate. We learned a lot from that experience and now during our down-select process for contractors we discuss their labor agreements. Now Florida where we are is a Right To Work State which prevents represented labor strongholds however for government contracts prevailing wages are paid; prevailing wages are typically negotiated union rates less benefits. I think Mi, Ny, Il, and Ca could learn a lot from the Right to Work states as it's these states in my opinion that will be the last to recover.

I have been in the ibew for 30 years, to get high pay in my local, to get high time, has to be Unscaffolded 150’. Then it’s like $1.50/hr. Did it many times climbing radio towers.... I would believe $1.25/hr.... my experience in the south is, the unions have never been strong....

you do realize that the union contract is also the Company contract, both sides have to agree on it.....

and no thank you to right to work (for less), It works better for companies profit, but the workers make a lot less.... there is never a right to work grass roots effort, it’s always funded by corporations, I wonder why?

 

[Great lakes pirate]

I think Mi, Ny, Il, and Ca could learn a lot from the Right to Work states as it's these states in my opinion that will be the last to recover.

I think Michigan is already a right to work state.

 

[Steve S]

I think Michigan is already a right to work state.

As of 2019, 27 states have adopted right-to-work laws. They are:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia (in February 2019, a judge declared right-to-work unconstitutional, likely sending the case to the state's Supreme Court of Appeals)
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

 

[ttmott]

As of 2019, 27 states have adopted right-to-work laws. They are:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia (in February 2019, a judge declared right-to-work unconstitutional, likely sending the case to the state's Supreme Court of Appeals)
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

I didn't know Michigan was one of them. The UAW was screaming bloody murder when auto assembly was moving to Tennessee and the Carolinas. I guess the change to Right to Work was survival from a state's perspective. Then when Boeing wanted to assemble the 777 in the southeast President Obama got involved to protect the Seattle union workforce; Boeing backed away from the move... I'm sure there's much more to that story.
Regardless, I believe the Right-To-Work will bring competition and alternatives and press the unions to be "competitive" which is a good step in weening off China. I believe the skilled unions (electricians, pipefitters, boilermakers, machinists, etc) should evolve to a skilled trade shop and offer certified and trained people (including apprentices) for jobs rather than demand to control the entire market. The concept of the "bench" has passed.

 

[Wanderer 290]

So when it comes to decoupling.... Sea Ray is for sale and if a Chinese company makes a solid offer with desires to transition bits and pieces of manufacturing to the mother land what are the chances of Brunswick saying “No we don’t want to sell to a Chinese company”?

 

[Golfman25]

So when it comes to decoupling.... Sea Ray is for sale and if a Chinese company makes a solid offer with desires to transition bits and pieces of manufacturing to the mother land what are the chances of Brunswick saying “No we don’t want to sell to a Chinese company”?

If I was King, China investment would not be allowed.

 

[DWABoat]

If I was King, China investment would not be allowed.

Well then they would just flip that switch in Beijing and all our TV’s and car radios would start broadcasting in Mandarin until we let them come back!!

 

[Wanderer 290]

Listening to Mandarin is worse than a dry bearing squealing!

 

[El Capitan]

I happily pay more for Made in America on everything I can. Problem is there are often little to no alternatives.

I rebuilt a 1970 Harley engine and happily paid 2-4x prices for parts manufactured in WI vs Chiwan.

One supplier company I used called S&S in WI used stainless steel from Japan only for the piston rings because the quality was superior but other than that everything they made and sold was Made in America.

I just redid the entire suspension on my ole Ford truck. The Moog parts came from Mexico. Years ago Moog was synonymous for quality and Made in America. I held my nose but at least it’s not Chicom made.

 

[JVM225]

I happily pay more for Made in America on everything I can. Problem is there are often little to no alternatives.

I rebuilt a 1970 Harley engine and happily paid 2-4x prices for parts manufactured in WI vs Chiwan.

One supplier company I used called S&S in WI used stainless steel from Japan only for the piston rings because the quality was superior but other than that everything they made and sold was Made in America.

I just redid the entire suspension on my ole Ford truck. The Moog parts came from Mexico. Years ago Moog was synonymous for quality and Made in America. I held my nose but at least it’s not Chicom made.

I needed a wheel cylinder a couple of years ago for my 68 GTO. Finding a decent quality one was pretty hard. Luckily it’s not a daily driver so I had the time to spend on the search.

 

[Wanderer 290]

Care to share a picture of your GTO?

 

[JVM225]

Care to share a picture of your GTO?

 

[Wanderer 290]

Nice GTO. The hide away head lights are cool.
That’s a grrr868.
I am a Pontiac man too!

 

[JVM225]

Nice GTO. The hide away head lights are cool.
That’s a grrr868.
I am a Pontiac man too!

It’s an A/C car and still has the original factory 8-Track that works.

 

[Chris-380]

View attachment 81009


View attachment 81012

beautiful car, love those and the chevelle 396 SS

 

[JimT]

Most new balance I see at the shoe store are made in China these days.... the old man horrible look are made in the USA.... haven’t put on a pair of Nike shoes in 40 years

If you read Phil Knights bio you would know that Nikes were made overseas from the beginning. So 40 years ago you were wearing Nikes made in Japan.

 

[Chris-380]

If you read Phil Knights bio you would know that Nikes were made overseas from the beginning. So 40 years ago you were wearing Nikes made in Japan.

I was 7 years old, I didn’t get to pick my shoes back then....

 

[ttmott]

If you read Phil Knights bio you would know that Nikes were made overseas from the beginning. So 40 years ago you were wearing Nikes made in Japan.

Also, Nike is not a manufacturer; they are a marketing company with license to their name and logos. So, it's not as if Nike has manufacturing plants in Asia where they have significant investment.... If anyone has options to help the US economy it is Nike.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Nice looking ol' GTO. I had a 68 Catalina that same color. Loved it

 

[copb8tx]

Beautiful GTO!! My parents had a white 68 LeMans that we took to South Africa when we moved there in '69. Over the years it was repainted the same color (almost) as yours. Looked great. It would get more attention there than a Ferrari as American cars were very scarce.

I bought my first classic 4 years ago and was surprised at how accessible replacement repop parts were. They are almost all Chinese made and when compared to the originals you can see the quality difference in materials and fitment. Thing is, unless you're going to invest in all original parts, in terms of time-to-find and cost, you really have no alternatives. And for some cars it isn't worth investing the $$$ for OEM.

I do believe that we need to designate critical goods that are essential to our healthcare, military and technology that our government, either through regulation and/or tariffs, ensures are 100% American made.

Also, why is it I hear almost ever American say they want some type of term limits for congress and the senate and yet nothing ever even comes close to happening. I'd vote for a monkey if its only plank in its platform was term limits. I figure once we get that passed we can move the monkey along and finally vote for people who give a crap about the country and not just themselves.