NAFTA

[Tony B.]

One wonders why $2.33 an hour whilst selling $360 million worth of cars
should be seen as disturbing, more to the point might be the ratio of profit
per worker, perhaps the world should now consider legislation giving
automatic increases when profit per worker reached a certain level (and
decreases in case of losses).
Such a scheme would be a powerful incentive/reward for good working
practices
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Lehman" <TLehman at lor.net>
To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2000 3:27 PM
Subject: NAFTA


> >From a questionable source:
>
> The Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico, churns out 19,500 shiny new
> Beetles each month, most of which are sold to American car buyers for
> around $17,000 each. The plant also produces 3,720 old-style Bugs per
> month, sold in Mexico for about $8,000 apiece. Do a little math and
> you'll find that Volkswagen sells about $361,260,000 worth of cars
> every month. Not bad.
>
> After a considerable struggle -- which included strong-arm management
> tactics and the eventual walk-out of workers at Puebla -- the workers
> have finally won a raise. Workers were ecstatic at the 13% raise,
> which will result in an average hourly pay rate of nearly $2.33. Of
> course, employers south of the border -- many of whom are American
> businesses who dumped workers back home for the cheap labor and
> non-existent safety and health laws of Mexico -- are now concerned
> that this may be the beginning of a "disturbing trend." I'd say that
> paying workers $2.33 an hour when you're making over $360 million
> worth of cars each month is more than a little disturbing itself.
>
>