Reborn Industrial Tycoon

Chapter 361 We workers have power (please subscribe)

Wisconsin's manufacturing industry is very developed, and its industrial output accounts for more than 40% of the state's total output value. This is a rare situation in the United States where the service industry output value accounts for 80%.

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and the top industrial city in the United States. It is the center of heavy machinery manufacturing in the United States. In addition, it also produces electrical equipment, auto parts, medical equipment, electronic products and home appliances.

Whirlpool's microwave oven factory is built in Milwaukee.

After get off work, a large number of workers quickly poured into the small bar near the microwave oven factory.

There was no Internet in that era, and daily entertainment activities were much less common. For these blue-collar workers, going to a bar to drink a beer after get off work was the biggest pastime of the day.

Milwaukee's Miller Beer Company is the second largest beer manufacturer in the United States. Therefore, Milwaukeeans like to drink beer. Beer is a must-have drink for Milwaukeeans.

This is probably like the old Qingdao people who carry a plastic bag of draft beer home after get off work.

Although the United States also detects drunk driving, it is the country with the most lenient standards for drunk driving.

Since the United States is a federal country and each state has independent legislative power, the standards for determining drunk driving are also inconsistent across states.

In a relatively broad range of states, the standard for drunk driving is a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.10%, and in most states the standard blood alcohol concentration is higher than 0.08%.

In China, the standard for drunk driving is that the blood alcohol concentration is higher than 0.02%, and the standard for drunk driving is higher than 0.08%. In other words, the American drunk driving standard is equivalent to China's drunk driving standard.

For an ordinary 300ml small can of beer, if you want to drink it with a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.08%, you need to drink about five or six cans on an empty stomach, and you have to pour it into your stomach quickly. If you drink it slowly, you have to eat something at the same time.

For snacks, it takes eight bottles of beer to reach this standard.

Therefore, there is no problem for normal people in the United States to drink two bottles of beer and then drive home.

The loose drinking and driving standards have resulted in small bars all over the United States, forming a unique American bar culture.

…

Taylor walked into the bar and saw several familiar colleagues who had already found a place to sit down, each holding a bottle of beer in their hands.

Taylor is also a worker at the Whirlpool Microwave Oven Factory. In addition, he also has another identity in the factory, that is, the union cadre of the Whirlpool Microwave Oven Factory. Therefore, Taylor also has some prestige among the workers.

Taylor glanced around the bar and saw a well-dressed man in a suit sitting at one of the tables, chatting with his colleagues.

Taylor suddenly felt a little strange. Normally at this time, the bar would be full of blue-collar workers who had just gotten off work, so there would be such a decent person here.

Taylor walked to the bar, ordered a bottle of beer, and then asked the bartender: "Who is that guy in a suit over there?"

"You're talking about Mr. Adams, he's been here all afternoon." The bartender paused and then said, "This Mr. Adams is a New Yorker who came to Milwaukee to invest and build a factory."

"What kind of factory should we build?" Taylor asked again.

"Build a microwave oven factory! Mr. Adams plans to move his microwave oven factory to Milwaukee." The bartender replied.

"So his factory is in New York? Then why would he move the factory to Milwaukee?" Taylor then asked.

The bartender thought for a while and said, "I heard that the electricity used by Wisconsin's manufacturing industry can be deducted from part of the tax, and the Wisconsin Development Fund Loan will provide low-interest loans to companies that increase job opportunities."

"That's it." Taylor nodded. After hesitating for a few seconds, he took the beer bottle and walked to Adams' table, wanting to hear what Adams was saying to his colleagues.

At this time, Adams was discussing salary matters with other workers.

"Is your hourly wage only $10? This is much cheaper than New York! If I hire a skilled worker in New York, I have to pay $15 an hour!" Adams said.

"Mr. Adams, are you saying that a worker like me can get $15 an hour in your factory?" one of them asked in surprise.

Adams nodded: "Of course, a skilled worker like you with ten years of work experience may not be able to get a salary of 15 US dollars per hour. But that is New York. No matter what you do in New York, it is better than other people."

The place is expensive!”

"That's why you plan to move the factory to Milwaukee!" another person said.

"Yes, it's much cheaper for workers in Milwaukee than in New York! In addition, Wisconsin has many preferential policies for manufacturing, such as energy tax credits and low-cost loans!"

Adams said, picked up the wine glass on the table and took a sip, then continued: "If I move the factory to Milwaukee, it will probably create 500 jobs in Milwaukee and I should be able to get at least 10 million US dollars from the Wisconsin government.

low-interest loans.”

"Mr. Adams, do you really plan to move your microwave oven factory to Milwaukee?" someone asked again.

"Originally I just had this idea, but after my research during this period, I think we should move the factory to Milwaukee." Adams replied.

At this time, Taylor, who had been listening for a long time, finally came closer and asked: "Mr. Adams, if you move the factory to Milwaukee, you will need to recruit new workers, right?"

"Of course, workers in New York are not willing to come to Milwaukee to work. After all, the salary in New York is higher than in Milwaukee, so I will definitely have to recruit new workers." Adams replied.

"Then how much salary do you plan to offer?" Taylor paused and then asked; "I mean the kind of skilled workers."

Adams thought for a while and said: "I know that Whirlpool pays you an hourly wage of 10 US dollars. If I also pay 10 US dollars, probably no workers will be willing to come, so I plan to pay 11 US dollars an hour. In this case

, I will be able to recruit two to three hundred workers soon!"

"The hourly wage is 11 US dollars!" Many workers around him were immediately moved.

Taylor said, "A salary of $11 is not enough!"

"Not enough?" Adams was stunned, and then asked: "Isn't the hourly wage that Whirlpool gives its workers only $10?"

Taylor smiled slightly and continued: "Whirlpool will soon raise wages for workers. It is expected that the hourly wage will increase by at least 50 cents!"

As soon as Taylor said this, someone next to him asked: "Taylor, is your union negotiating with the management again, asking for a salary increase?"

Taylor didn't answer, just showed a daydreaming expression.

Adams looked at Taylor and asked, "Sir, are you a union member at the Whirlpool factory?"

"I am a cadre of the union. My name is Taylor, Mr. Adams. Nice to meet you." Taylor said.

"Mr. Taylor, you just said that Whirlpool is going to raise wages for workers?" Adams asked.

"Well, haha, it's certain that wages will increase. As for how much, it's hard to say." Taylor said.

Adams hesitated and then said, "It seems I have to get $12 an hour to recruit workers in Milwaukee!"

"With an hourly wage of US$12, there will definitely be skilled workers who will choose your factory." Taylor said with a smile.

Adams said, "Mr. Taylor, can you give me your contact information?"

"Of course!" Taylor readily handed over his contact information to Adams.

…

After Adams left, colleagues immediately gathered Taylor in the center.

"Tyler, you just said that the factory will raise our wages, at least 50 cents an hour. Is that true?" someone asked.

"False! I told that Adams on purpose!" Taylor said.

"Is it fake news? Why did you lie to that Adams?" asked another person next to him.

"If I hadn't said that, how could he have raised his hourly wage from $11 to $12," Taylor replied.

"Tyler, are you going to that Adams factory? His factory is still in New York. Who knows when it will be moved to Milwaukee." Someone next to him asked.

Taylor shook his head: "I have no plans to leave Whirlpool for the time being, but I deliberately asked Adams to increase the price for the benefit of our workers.

We can ask Whirlpool to give us a salary increase! If Whirlpool does not give us a salary increase, we threaten to change jobs, and I believe Whirlpool will definitely compromise!"

In the next few days, Adams kept contacting Taylor. At first, he just inquired about the workers of Whirlpool. Later, he directly hinted to Taylor, hoping that after his own factory was completed, Taylor could bring Whirlpool workers to his new factory.

This became more and more determined, and Taylor proposed a salary increase to Whirlpool.

…

At Whirlpool's headquarters in Michigan, Smith received the news from Milwaukee.

"At the microwave oven factory, the union is asking for a raise?" Smith frowned.

When opening a factory in the United States, it is inevitable to avoid labor unions. American labor unions are never idle. They demand salary increases, vacations, reduced working hours, and improved daily benefits every day.

As an American business manager, dealing with labor unions is also a required course.

"How much salary increase do the union guys want this time?" Smith asked.

The person on the other end of the phone immediately said, "They want an increase of $2 an hour."

"Increasing the hourly wage by US$2, are these workers crazy?" Smith snorted coldly.

Each worker is paid $2 more per hour, $16 more for an eight-hour day, and $80 more for five days a week. That’s $320 a month and $3,840 a year. The entire Milwaukee microwave oven factory pays $16 more every year.

It requires an additional expenditure of two million US dollars! This is obviously unacceptable to Whirlpool.

More importantly, if wages are raised for workers in the microwave oven factory, then the unions in other factories will hear about it and will definitely demand wage increases. Whirlpool has dozens of factories in the United States. If all workers in the microwave oven factory are raised, Whirlpool may have to ask for wage increases.

Spend hundreds of millions of dollars more.

Even a giant company like Whirlpool cannot afford to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more every year.

The other end of the phone continued: "Mr. Smith, the union said that if we don't meet their demands, they will go on strike! I don't think the union is trying to scare us this time, I'm afraid they are serious."

"When did the union not mean it?" Smith snorted coldly.

Trade union organizations in the United States are the most troublesome existence for entrepreneurs. As early as before World War II, the United States established laws to protect trade unions, and in the following decades, relevant laws or bills were continuously introduced.

Moreover, in order to win elections, American politicians often woo labor organizations and make various promises to the unions. Once they are elected, they will naturally have to fulfill their promises, which makes American labor unions increasingly emboldened.

Smith thought for a while and said, "You should talk to the union leaders first. It is impossible for them to increase the hourly wage by 2 dollars, but they can increase the hourly wage by 20 cents, but the premise is that they will not raise it again in the next year."

It’s about a salary increase.”

An increase of 20 cents from the base of 10 US dollars is equivalent to a 2% increase in salary. Using this price in exchange for not asking for a salary increase within a year is more acceptable to Whirlpool than buying and selling.

The person on the other side of the phone refused without hesitation: "Mr. Smith, this may be a bit difficult. I am sure that the union will not accept this condition."

"Isn't 20 cents enough?" Smith said in a bad tone.

"Judging from my contacts with union leaders, I am afraid that 20 cents is not even possible to negotiate. This time the union seems to be very confident. Otherwise, it would not be possible to directly demand a $2 hourly wage increase."

Smith took a deep breath. A $2 increase is equivalent to a 20% increase in salary. Generally, unions cannot ask for such a large salary increase.

Under normal circumstances, the union will ask for a salary increase of 5% to 8%, and then argue back and forth with the employer. In the end, both parties will compromise and agree on a salary increase of 3% to 5%. At the same time, the employer will also demand that the union must increase the salary in the future.

Within this period, do not ask for a salary increase again.

When the deadline is up, the union will jump out again and demand a salary increase of 5% to 8% again, and then there will be a new round of negotiations between labor and management, repeating the previous process.

Nowadays, the workers in the microwave oven factory are demanding a 20% salary increase. This demand is indeed excessive.

"Did any politician make a promise to the union again? That shouldn't be the case. The election is next year. Isn't it too early to make a promise now?"

Smith pondered for a moment and then said, "Well, I will go to Milwaukee tomorrow to deal with this matter."

…

In the conference room, Smith and Taylor had been talking for more than an hour, but they still had not reached any consensus.

"Mr. Taylor, the 50-cent hourly wage increase is already very sincere. This is equivalent to a 5% increase in salary! I can guarantee that no company in the United States will increase workers' wages by so much at one time."

Salary." Smith said seriously.

Taylor shook his head: "But you also requested that no salary increase be raised within two years. This is only equivalent to an increase of 2.5% a year. Our US economic growth rate last year was 3.5%, and the salary was only 2.5%."

Growth can’t even beat inflation!”

"But what you are asking for is a $1.5 salary increase, which is equivalent to a 15% salary increase. This is simply impossible. We at Whirlpool cannot afford such a high salary," Smith said.

"Our demand has been lowered from US$2 to US$1.50, and we will not lower it any more," Taylor said firmly.

"Mr. Taylor, if this is the case, then we have no need to talk!" Smith snorted coldly and decided to be tough.

However, Taylor was equally tough. He stood up directly and said: "Mr. Smith, on behalf of the union, I would like to inform you that starting next Monday, we will go on an indefinite strike until Whirlpool agrees to the union's demands!"

…

Negotiations broke down, and on Monday, the union actually organized a strike.

Of course, Whirlpool could not agree to a 15% salary increase. So the two sides became deadlocked.

Next, several politicians in Milwaukee stepped forward to act as peacemakers and mediate.

In the end, the union lowered the conditions to a $1 hourly wage increase and would not ask for any more raises in the next year.

Whirlpool did not agree to this condition. They gave two conditions, one was an hourly wage of 60 cents, and the union was not allowed to ask for a wage increase in the next two years; the second condition was that the hourly wage increased by 1 dollar, but within the next four years

, the union is no longer allowed to ask for a raise.

The two sides had great differences, and the negotiations once again reached a deadlock.

…

In the corner of a certain coffee shop, Mr. Adams took a wad of banknotes from Li Weidong, counted them carefully, and put them into his arms with a smile.

Adams is indeed from New York, but he is not an entrepreneur, but an 18th-rate Broadway actor. What he is best at is playing the boss.

The so-called move of the microwave oven factory to Milwaukee is of course an act, and the $12 hourly wage is also fake.

Adams inadvertently met Taylor, a trade union cadre, and it was also arranged in advance. In order to get in touch with Taylor, Adams spent many days in a row at the door of the bar.

The ultimate goal, of course, was to provoke Taylor to organize a strike.

The cost of manufacturing in the United States is indeed high, but Whirlpool's management is determined to believe in American manufacturing, and Li Weidong can only use some dirty tricks behind the scenes.

Aren’t you superstitious about Made in America? Then I will instigate workers to go on strike. If the workers don’t work anymore and you can’t even build a microwave oven, why are you still talking about Made in America?

Based on Li Weidong's understanding of American labor unions, these so-called union leaders all focus on immediate interests. Once they know that other companies offer higher salaries, they will definitely demand a salary increase. If the management cannot meet the salary increase demands, they will go on strike.

It is inevitable.

Wisconsin is an industrial state and has a long history of going on strike. Strikes occur whenever there is disagreement. This is also the norm in Wisconsin. Anyway, there are many jobs in industrial states, and it is easier for workers to find jobs. In the worst case, they will just change factories.

And things happened just as Li Weidong expected. The union of the microwave oven factory organized a strike in order to increase wages.

Adams put the money away and asked, "Boss, what should I do next?"

Li Weidong thought for a while and said: "You have to do two things next. The first is to pretend to be looking for a factory, and let Taylor know about it, and let the union believe that you really want to come to Milwaukee to build a factory.

The second is to tell Taylor that your factory will soon move to Milwaukee and will need a lot of workers! In short, it is to let the workers in the microwave oven factory understand that even if they have a career, they will not worry about finding a job.

If we build a new factory, we will make more money!"

"Got it, boss!" Adams nodded.

After sending Adams away, Li Weidong's face showed a smile of success.

“It’s time for another trip to Whirlpool Headquarters!”

More than 5,000 words, two chapters in one. Thank you for your subscription. Please give me a guaranteed monthly ticket!