I disagree on pensions and unions. They may seem to be such in the short term, but when those "friends" cause or greatly contribute to the company failing, the middle class worker must try to find another job & benefits, and perhaps even have to start over on funding his retirement.
A 401k that requires the employee to contribute something for there to be something is a much more sustainable option IMO. Why expect to automatically be paid $10k a month for life both during and after work years just because you turned a screw on an assembly line 40 hours a week for a few years?
This is the reason Boeing is ending thsir pension plan
Theyre shifting it off the company once the employee ceases being productive and making it the employees responsibility.
Their retirement is still killer and they contributr a lot, but they basically said they cant afford to pay countless thousands of retired employees....
The majority of whom are paid way more than any other industry would ever offer.
Boeing will hire employees with zero education and zero skills, teach them how to drill ONE hole using ONE tool, starting at $12/hr, and in 6 years the union agreement has them making $31/hr thanks to standardized wages. They are grade 6s.
I got hired as a grade 9, as my skillset is much more robust and Boeing doesnt train anyone to do my job so they have to headhunt us. I make right around 100k/yr with OT starting out. For every 1 of me (grade 9), there is 30+ grade 6s and even more grade 4s and under.
Now, imagine having to pay the thousands of borderline retards 30/hr for 30 years, and then pay 10s of thousands of retirees 4.5k/month for the rest of their lives, many who will be retired at 50 and live to be 90.
These guys have literally no marketable skill but because of the Boeing union theyll make more in retirement than the average man does working full time.
Its not sustainable.