Here we go again:
If Reuther’s advice had been followed, and healthcare and company pensions had, for example, been effectively nationalized, fluctuations in the fortunes of any single company would not affect a worker’s access to benefits. Even better, companies would be better able to compete in a global marketplace.
So, how do we ensure that workers and retirees don’t get crushed by the implosion of the Big Three? Simple. Any bailout, restructuring or government-overseen bankruptcy should be accompanied by comprehensive healthcare reform for all workers, along with substantial improvements in the safety net such as wage insurance, extended unemployment benefits, training and education subsidies.
That’s from a Salon article called How Healthcare Could Have Saved Detroit. I wish there was more talk about this connection, not just wrt Detroit, but for all businesses, who are put in the untenable position of having interests opposed to their workers’ interests. I was going to rant about it for a while, but I’ll spare you any more.