这次是 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s turn. “Precision Factory Jobs in U.S. go Unfilled” the headline laments. The article then goes on to relate the trials of a precision parts maker in a small town in Pennsylvania that just can’t keep up with demand because of a lack of skilled workers.

这次是 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s turn. “Precision Factory Jobs in U.S. go Unfilled” the headline laments. The article then goes on to relate the trials of a precision parts maker in a small town in Pennsylvania that just can’t keep up with demand because of a lack of skilled workers.

怎么会这样？

The article reiterates the time-honored statistic that the typical manufacturing job pays about $60,000 a year. The baby boomers are retiring. Who’s going to take their place? Apparently, at the company in question, senior machinists earn a whopping $70,000 a year, this in a small town “nestled in the Allegheny Mountains” with what one would expect is a very reasonable cost of living. What’s wrong with kids these days?

In a word: Nothing. While it may be true that the typical factory worker makes big money, that ain’t the way it is for starting machinists in the Alleghenies. Apparently a new-hire machinist at the company in question makes $9 an hour, less than $19,000 a year. Manufacturers claim they want smart employees, but you’d have to be plain-old stupid to pull up stakes and relocate for that kind of pay. This is a company that makes “high-end parts for military helicopters and nuclear submarines,” and they’re paying nine bucks an hour?

当然，新雇员完成某种培训后，工资增加到每小时14.50美元。但这并没有改变这样一个事实，即至少可以说，在当今时代，每小时要花费9美元的任何东西都比洗碗量要少。

我敢肯定，这是一家优秀的公司，由勤奋的人经营，他们必须在自己的行业中生存。但是，自由市场适用于劳动力以及客户和供应商。机器正闲置，订单显然正在丢失，而有帮助的标志已成为一个永久的固定装置，这一事实应该告诉您一些事情。

该文章引用宾夕法尼亚州劳动力发展副部长的话说：“我们不会以劳动力的价格竞争我们的劳动技巧。”

确切地！

美国不会仍然是一个政策uring powerhouse by winning back contracts to assemble plastic playsets for Fisher Price or cheap electronics for Sony. It’s going to remain out front by manufacturing things like, well, helicopters and nuclear submarines! And that takes money.

To its credit, this machining company is willing to spend big bucks on training-as much as $120,000 per apprentice. But that just makes it all the more incredible that it should be offering such low starting wages.

总会杂志长期以来一直赞成将人工成本保留在支票和释放工作规则中，以便公司可以保持高效和灵活。我们对UAW和三大汽车制造商锤击的新合同的赞美表示非常坦率。但是，召集人需要警惕自己。这样做只会阻止美国最好和最聪明的人进入制造业。

工厂工作并不容易。我去过那儿。我知道。对于大多数美国工人，工会工人的所有恐怖故事都没有做任何事情， earn 他们的钱。如果您不支付他们应得的东西，他们将首先留下或永远不必费心回复该帮助的广告。

重要的是要记住，亨利·福特（Henry Ford）并没有通过降低工资来成为工业偶像，而是创建创新且高效的公司。尽管这可能会在短期内提高利润，但从长期以来的短期工作中，工人承担了缩短美国经济的风险。