If you haven't noticed, a lot of jobs that used to be common for Americans to have been going overseas. This is because American labor is very expensive compared to labor from other countries. This to me seems to be a problem. Now that we live in a global economy we have to compete globally for jobs. I don't think people now completely understand this. The wages we demand are alright, but I think that a lot of the added benefits we demand with our jobs need to be cut back in order to better compete globally for jobs. I think that some Americans are so accustomed to having these privilages that it will be hard to give them up.




Do you agree that we need to give up benefits in order to compete globally for jobs?
Do you have any other thoughts?
Discuss...

Perhaps an example of the benefits you think fall in either category? There are some benefits that I think could be done away with, but things like vacation, overtime, and insurance benefit the company as much as the employer, so getting rid of them wouldn't improve productivity or effectiveness.

While I'm not American, I don't think anyone should give up benefits to 'compete globally for jobs'. To me, requesting people to do so is a step backwards. All that will do is take money from labourers around the globe and place it into the pockets of the owners of megacorporations.

Think about how many jobs that have been outsourced are there to create products that are provided to Americans for a cheaper price. If most consumers would grow a conscience, they'd selectively purchase domestic products and reduce the country's need for imports. By purchasing domestic products, labour and materials would be largely domestic as well, forcing employers to stay in that country and comply with labour laws and benefits.

I know that I can't buy everything domestic; I wouldn't be typing on my computer if I didn't. I make the effort to by domestic, or better yet, local, products where possible, because I don't like the idea of some mega-corporation rolling in billions of dollars while they pay meagre wages to people who aren't in a position to fight for a better workplace.

While my government pays for my healthcare and insurance, I'd be some pissed if I was expected to give up my benefits at work. However, I highly doubt there is a large population of people capable of doing my job in foreign markets, so that would be one reason I'd fight to keep my job and benefits.

No...eventually (like NOW) labor will get expensive in foreign countries too. People will only work for squat and expect nothing for so long.

Well I think ( remember im not working yet in a "real" job) but as long as people aren't demanding insurance and retirement plans and for a job than we shouldn't either. Its a lowess bidder society and as long as we demand things that others aren't demanding, than we aren't the lowest bidder and we aren't getting jobs.

People from Asia don't get insurance or vacation plans, but they are getting the job

Sooo, we should be more 3rd worldish?

and edit to say, "Dork, get a damn good education, and stay educated, and you should never need to compete."

Maybe it's because I'm Canadian, but I see something very wrong with that picture.

Workers in foreign countries don't require safety standards - should we eradicate ours as well? I will not accept a job that requires me to sacrifice my safety just because it's cheaper.

It is spelled 'aren't', by the way.

No, chinook, it's not a Canadian thing...I think that lowering standards is a bad thing, too.

I think too many companies are using this "Global Economy" thing to their benefit....no, not using - abusing.

For example - a company says they need to cut Medical Insurance Benefits so they can compete with someone in Canada. Well, that's bulls**t because people in Canada don't worry about Medical Insurance the same way we do in the US

Another example - a company wants to cut cost XXX to be competitive with a company in England. But what they don't want to do is match the benefits they get in England - like number of vacation days a year.

I agree that it's a lowest bidder society; however, what does the lowest bidder do in order to get the job? He or she cuts corners and THEN provides a product of lesser quality. The saying "you get what you pay for" was created for a reason.

Yes, I agree with most of the views expressed here, but I also think it's not a simple, static situation. Countries seen as "cheap", making inferior goods, will NOT stay that way. If you don't agree, just think about pre-war Japan, post-war Japan, and the quality of Toyota vehicles today. I could rest my case with that comment.

Look out for India, a LOT of IT and other work is going to be done there, and in due course, their prices (and the benefits of their workers) will go up too.

But one thing may interest you Americans: I know quite a few Europeans (well, Dutch people) who will certainly not consider working in the USA, because of the perception that working conditions are TOO LOW there. Only 2 weeks holiday a year? Come on! They have 6-8 weeks a year. And then the issue of job security. It's difficult to fire someone in the Netherlands. The idea that someone loses a job and cleans out his desk into a box the same day is a completely off-the-planet idea for Europeans, where severance has to be negotiated or settled in court, but in any case involves multiple months of salary...

I made this thread while talking about arcetecture and engeneering jobs being outsourced in my Tech ed class, which reminded me of an article I read on Netscape about poor quality toys coming from China. The discussion on the article (which I cant find) was talking about ways to keep jobs in America. since I was in class I was kinda rushing kinda not paying attention, I hate not sounded educated. Oh I plan on being educated trust me. What I was thinking was to cut back on personal benefits that aren't required by law, not regulated saftey standards. A prime example is like when teachers go strike or mass transit workers go on strike for better benefits that they don't need. Teachers especially-they get the whole summer off and sit in a class room all day and demand all this crap (and they aren't the only ones but there are teacher strikes going on now so thats what i'm thinking of.) Think of all the GM wrokers they had to lay off. The people were too expensive for the company.

Okay, I'm not getting into the whole summers off thing because I'll just get blasted for it, but I have to respond to the rest of your remarks.

I do not sit in a classroom all day and demand crap. I stand, perform, cajole, beg, yell, humor, baby, listen, and counsel all day and demand high-quality, well-done assignments that some thought was put into and not just copied from a classmate or off the internet. I listen to whining about how a 90 page book has too many pages, about how hard it is to write an 8-10 sentence paragraph. I give up my prep time and lunch time to make sure students do their work since it's too time consuming for them to do their homework outside of school.

I get to tell the gang bangers in the hallways to pull up their pants and stop flashing their hand signals while hoping they're not hiding a weapon and they don't know what car I drive. I get to deal with parents who think I'm wrong because their little darling meant to turn in his assignment two weeks ago but forgot it in his locker even though I reminded him every day about bringing it to me.

Teachers go on strike for a lot of reasons, but contrary to popular belief it's not because we are looking for the big bucks and do no work.

/rant

alright I apologize for my comments. I do know that teachers do alot of work behind the scenes but I just wasnt thinking about that when I posted. My fault if I offended you.

Dork, please re-read this sentence!! What makes you think that teachers will strike for benefits they don't need?? Are YOU a teacher? Then you probably aren't in a position to tell someone else what he or she does or doesn't need. Half of my family are teachers, and let me tell you - they don't just sit around in a classroom all day demanding 'crap' (though they might say that of some of their students!!).

Could you please give an example of unnecessary benefits, then, if you feel too many people desire them?
I cannot think of any of my benefits that I'd deem unnecessary, though I think most are required by law. Do you really think the workplace will be better if nobody is allowed maternity/paternity leave, or vacation time, or sick days? If that's the way you envision the workplace, I'm pretty darn happy that you aren't in charge of it!

edit: I'd like to hear your opinion on all of this once you actually do get a real job and start working. I'll almost guarantee that you'll have changed your tune!

For all those reasons (and many more) I really respect the work that teachers everywhere do. I've been involved on the school boards of a number of schools in different countries where my kids went to school, anything from kindergarten to international high schools. I'm obviously a parent, and... I've been a schoolboy.

So I truly believe that teachers deserve medals.

Here's a virtual gold medal for you, TchEngRox!

I know! I had been toying with the idea of taking a position in Australia, and I couldn't believe the amount of vacation time and benefits that are just accepted there! Had I been willing to tolerate Kalgoorlie weather, I'd have been one happy geo there! (Alas, I am still here, enjoying the cool arctic.)

You would also have to tolerate Kalgoorlie geo's and drillers... I've had to tolerate some of them out here in Ghana from time to time.

First off, teachers deserve all the money they can get and then some. They don't just sit in a classroom all day. And when they get to leave the classroom, they get to grade papers, make lesson plans, etc. My mother is a preschool teacher and only technically works part-time. But the time she spends preparing for classes puts her well into overtime. And she has summers off now, but when she was younger she used to work at daycares and camps in the summer because she didn't make enough money.

Second, sending all of our jobs overseas seems like a great idea, but when it gets the breaking point and there's not enough money in the economy to support the businesses that are outsourcing, the businesses are going to fail.

Thank you, Rambler, I'll wear it proudly!