WHY LEAN PRODUCTION?
Why have corporations and government embraced lean production? Leaders of the AFL-CIO have two answers. First, they say that our bosses are acting irrationally when they pay low wages, cut jobs, and intensify competition among workers. John Sweeney and most other top union officials argue plaintively that corporations and governments are shooting themselves in the foot by pursuing this “low road” (wage cutting) to competitiveness. Second, they argue that corporations are simply “greedy.” Rather than being satisfied with a “reasonable” return on their investments, corporations attempt to maximize profits at the expense of the rest of us. The AFL-CIO would like to convince employers to take the “high road.” They should stop fighting unions. They should pay decent wages and realize that a good union, one with “partnership” as a policy, will help institute a “high-performance workplace,” one with greater productivity, quality, and therefore profits. According to the AFL-CIO’s “Common Sense
