MM> Replying to a msg dated 12 Dec 12 02:37, from you to all.   
      
    MM> Then how come factories from non-union companies are   
    MM> actually more productive making cars for Niesan and   
    MM> Mercedes Benz?   
      
    Niesan is union, in Japan. Neisan's union factories in Japan are   
    more productive. Before the Bush debacle, when we talked about   
    producitivy, we were told American workers were not very   
    productive.   
      
    I looked it up. I wasn't difficult, the OECD (Organization of   
    Economic Cooperation and Development) published the records. The   
    American worker was the most productive in the world. The US was   
    the standard, set as 100, and all other countries were compared   
    to that. Japan was about 73% as productive as the US.   
      
    However, the Japanese automotive industry was more productive   
    than the US automotive industry. That was the *ONLY* major   
    industry in which Japan was more productive. That was ascribed   
    to the higher level of automation in Japanese auto factories.   
    That and massive outsourcing. In Japan the auto companies were   
    more efficient, but their suppliers were required to maintain   
    stocks of material that the auto companies in the US would have   
    maintained themselves.   
      
    In the US auto parts were made by either the companies   
    themselves, or by large companies that supplied them. In Japan   
    many auto parts were made by smaller companies, so it was much   
    harder to find inefficiencies in so many smaller companies.   
      
    Years ago, when I worked for American Can Company, they were a   
    world leader in the can industry. The company developed   
    machinery that was used all over the world. The company   
    engineers traveled all over the world supporting the design of   
    plants in other countries. One of them told me, in Japan they   
    would have people with mechanical engineering degrees doing jobs   
    US factories would have mechanics doing.   
      
    Also, years ago I learned, American companies would more often   
    be run by people with management or business admin degrees. In   
    Japan companies would far more often had management with   
    engineering degrees rather than in the US. Believe me, I see the   
    effect of that all the time.   
      
      
      
   BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn   
      
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