General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We romanticize manufacturing jobs when what we really miss are unions. [View all]pampango
(24,692 posts)despite the high amount of trade their countries engage in. What seems impossible to American liberals probably does not look the same to liberals in those countries.
American unions seem to blame (rightly or wrongly) offshoring for their problems rather than the actions of our own government like 'right-to-work' which harms unions without the companies even having to leave the comfort of US' laws and infrastructure. Swedish and German unions don't have to worry about their companies moving to 'non-union' states or provinces where they can continue to function in their home market with laws, regulations and transportation networks they know and are comfortable with.
Not knowing what unions in progressive countries would say, my own opinion is that we should negotiate agreements with other countries - like the EU today or FDR's ITO back in the day - which protect labor rights in the signatory countries. Cooperation between countries seems preferable to multinational corporations playing one country off against another.