68 Quotes by Harley Shaiken

What we're looking at in Seattle is a debate over the rules of the game and how the environment and labor will be treated -- whether they will be debated elsewhere or whether they will become part of the core discussions about trade.

What's new about the global economy is First World productivity combined with Third World wages. That can create some real downward pressure on high-wage countries.

Losing 30,000 jobs, closing 14 plants, has enormous consequences not just for the union, but for the future of their members. It is a major blow.

Many companies are looking to roll back benefits, and benefits for retirees are at the top of the list. This decision says that while they may be first on the list, they may not be easy to cut.

Miller has clearly chosen bankruptcy over collective bargaining to restructure the company. Delphi is using a bankruptcy judge to begin moving in the direction of Chinese wages and benefits.

Miller, by taking such a visible and hard line, may have underestimated the UAW. The union would like to see a settlement, but not at the cost of 60 years of gains.

Caterpillar is a powerful symbol of this process. It dominates its field. It is one of America's largest exporters, and it is very profitable. If there ever was a company that could bring back the social contract of the mid-20th century, it is Caterpillar. But it chooses not to.

Because they (Delphi) have considerable leverage at a moment of bankruptcy is not the same as saying the UAW is out of the game.

Fox and Chavez are both serving important domestic political purposes for each other.