Reflections of a Rational Republican

In the last installment of this series, Egalitarius’ management instituted several aggressive cost-cutting measures to offset the cost of more expensive unionized labor, and Meritocratus’ management moved its production facilities offshore.

This scenario starts before Egalitarius’ strike begins.

As both companies fought for market share, the global economy was hit by a crippling recession. Most industry analysts projected widget demand to drop across the industry by 10% in 2012.

Continue reading →

In the last four installments of this series, the Widget Worker’s Union (WWU) brought Egalitarius to its knees with a strike that ultimately forced the company to declare bankruptcy. Before the WWU strike, Egalitarius’ management instituted several aggressive cost-cutting measures to offset the cost of more expensive unionized labor. This scenario starts at this point, long before the strike begins.

This time the focus is on Meritocratus.

While Egalitarius’ management balanced shareholder interests with society’s well-being, Meritocratus ruthlessly pursued maximizing its bottom line. Continue reading →

After Egalitarius’ management launched its cost-cutting program in response to worker unionization, the Widget Workers’s Union (WWU) called for a strike. The union contended that Egalitarius’ cuts constituted unfair retaliation against the workforce’s unionization. It is also complained that the inferior materials Egalitarius now used were hazardous to the workers.

As a consequence, the union demanded that Egalitarius provide workers with more overtime hours, and that the company revert back to using higher quality materials.

With its back now against the wall, Egalitarius’ management has no choice but to call the union’s bluff.

Unfortunately. the union was not bluffing. Continue reading →