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PaperclipPerfector  9mo ago (text post)   3314 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for March 22, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Dockworkers rightfully fight automation because they know that there are not other jobs for them with high pay as many other jobs lack unions;

Sure there are, they can learn to code. Or install air conditioners. Or...

the “efficiency” goes to just a few at top

The "efficiency" is reflected in higher prices for all imported goods. Poor people consume more of their income than rich people.

The dockworkers raise prices for every American. They simply do not care about this, contrary to your claim about the employees having the interests of the consumer at heart. It's classic diffuse costs and concentrated benefits.

even if for some reason dockworkers maintain a disproportionately high salary, we can imagine a system where the union of one industry negotiates (and can be overruled) by a broader “related-industry” or “affected industry” greater union body. There are many ways to incentivize efficient economic decisions which involve unions and cross-union negotiation.

The goalposts have moved very far indeed from "employees are more likely to identify with the interests of the consumer and stand to gain less as individuals from purposeful economic inefficiency". Now we need a union of unions to put down the unions who unionize too hard.

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