  tschmidt Premium,MVM join:2000-11-12 Milford, NH
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to PDXPLT Re: telephone service
said by PDXPLT : Well, since the unions have monopoly power over the supply of labor to Verizon, many would consider them by definition "overpaid", i.e., Verizon is required to pay more in order to purchase labor, than they otherwise would have to, for what the market value of that labor would be in a free competitive market. Why is it when Labor join together to increase power that is considered greedy.
When management positions a company to market dominance to maximize profitability that is considered great business acumen.
In a free market shouldn't all players continuously maneuver to increase competitive advantage?
/tom |
 PDXPLT
join:2003-12-04 Banks, OR
| said by tschmidt :Why is it when Labor join together to increase power that is considered greedy. 'never used the word "greedy". Of course, in a free market, all players are acting to maximize their utility; i.e., being "greedy". 'nothing wrong with that IMHO.
When management positions a company to market dominance to maximize profitability that is considered great business acumen. Yes, but when that dominance gets to the point where the company is deemed to have monopoly power, antitrust law severely restricts the things they can do. Not only are union members exempt from antitrust, but the law even sanctions their monopoly.
In a free market shouldn't all players continuously maneuver to increase competitive advantage? Of course. But the market isn't "free" in this case. Employees should be free to organize, and present a "package deal" to the employer to provide their labor services. But if the market was free, the employer would have the option of saying "no thanks", and be free to purchase labor services elsewhere. Under the law, they don't have that option. |