So,,you are all for the bail out.Im not.You want to live off the Gov.Freebee teat go ahead.I pay my taxes,,you should be alright.Why don't you go get a job instead of live off freebees.

Sometimes a company does care as they can point to where it translates to happy employees, more productivity, etc which in turn makes for greater profit. Id say ive seen it more in smaller private organizations but not exclusively. However to generally think that the mission of a company is to care is somewhat odd to me. They exist to produce product or provide a service in order to make a profit for the owner or shareholder. Companies need employees but companies dont exist for the benefit of the staff.

And by the way, taxes are important from a business and corporate mgmt prespective but taxes alone dont govern business practice either. The US health insurance system provided to most people via private companies for which they work is primarily a result of WW2 manufacturing needs and govt involvement in the process. For the last 3 or 4 decades being a competitive employer has required providing insurance benefits Its as simple as that

You sort of right.Offering health insurance along with other benefits,,was a result of the Wage Stabilization Act,,of 1942.Thats when the gov. froze all workers wages.So,,since companies were not allowed to offer more wages(real constitutional right) they had to offer other things to get loyal workers.Health insurance,,PENSIONS,,time off etc.

LOL You can't even read what I said . Because of unions , a company can't keep paying retirement benefits. The government ( democrats more than likely ) set up a back up for companies that filed bankruptcy.  So people that depended on their retirement along with their savings could live a good life. You think a companyis going to keep paying workers for the rest of their lives , after paying higher wages and great health care while they worked ? When a union shuts them down over pure BS? I worked for Teamsters and the UAW  , and neither pays my retirement .The company had to invest to cover the retirement . Biden and company sure helped out on any investments didn't they !

So,,you are all for the bail out.Im not.You want to live off the Gov.Freebee teat go ahead.I pay my taxes,,you should be alright.Why don't you go get a job instead of live off freebees.

Use your head , no one was for the government to bail out the big three or the stock market . Our government did it , and the unions did nothing to help. I didn't ask for the government to pay my retirement benefits . The point is the company went belly up. Where was the union ? They could care less. The government backs it up. Not totally sure , but I think the unions had something to do with it , because a union rep knew all about it ! I was worried about my retirement and asked a union rep, he knew all about it , said don't worry the government backs retirement benefits !

I agree with everything you said, but a company is unable to make profit, product products or do anything without employees. Employees are the driving force, the life energy and the muscle of the company, if you don't take care of employees it's likely the company has substandard profits that could be through the roof if only they took care of their employees. CEOs, Boards, and shareholders should all be in support of treating the employees as good as they can because all of their livelihoods are in the hands of those employees. Teams are everything in life and the hard work and dedication employees put into the company put their DNA on the company more than 99% of CEOs ever could. We don't do a great job at showing our young adults or children what a competitive vs non-competitive company looks like and as has been shown in this thread, if a person would take $7.25 an hour the company would jump all over that because they get to make up the difference in profit.

I would be willing to be that if the tax deduction was taken away for all of the benefits and there wasn't a law that forced companies to provide them, we would have a lot of companies that didn't provide them. That's really another conversation, but you brought up some great points that I think everybody could learn from. Thanks.

I'm going to put down the popcorn and add a couple of thoughts from my experience.
I think that I work in fairly unique industry ( Commercial shipping). I belong to a Trade Union not a labor union to join the union you have to hold a license that is issued by the Coast Guard so you have already sailed for at least 5 or six years or gone to a Maritime academy to get your license. I believe this makes it different then some "factory union" where you join when you get hired in.
The union operates a school that provides training, both government mandated training and professional devilment classes. The companies that contract with the union help develop some of the courses so that they get people with skills that they need. Companies can also require that someone have certain qualifications before they take a job.
The union also provides heath care insurance and retirement plans, that the companies don't have to deal with. In a way it is as if the union is functioning as the HR department for the companies that they are contracted with.
As for donating politics the union is a about 50/50. Support for US Flagged shipping , as well as opposition to is split fairly evenly down party lines. The Union supports and works with members of both parties based on their support for the industry.

You COMPANY went belly up,,and your blaming the UNION.Sounds like the company took all their golden parachutes and said By By workers.See ya in the Bahamas.You company in mandated by law,to provide you at the minimum yearly, proof that your pension if fully funded.Did that not happen.

Where is the union ? Do you see them helping?

It's amazing my plant makes 93 million a year proffit despite having a union. That's just my plant not the company Sounds like your plant had poor management most likely gave out a lot of bonuses to the top guys thar ran it in the ground and wanted to blame their failures on the union and employees that made them that cash.

Point is a union is for it's self , once you retire , or the company fails , they care less what happens to you.
They got their dues and will find another company to unionize !
What I'm saying is unions did help the workers , until they became political.
It happend long before I got my first job in a factory in 1968 .
It just got worse as time went by.
Why do you think JFK and Bobby were after the unions?

Yes, you are not as valuable to the company. Obviously.

If companies treated workers fairly,,there would be no unions.Any company that pays comparable wages to unions,,does so in FEAR of the workers unionizing.Get tht through your head.

Good point , and the worker doesn't waste money in dues to a worthless union.
The company is better off.

From what I’m reading is there are a lot of folks that hate their job and didn’t plan for retirement, lol. I truly enjoy my job and plan on a healthy retirement, when I decide to retire. Guess I paired up with a good company and union.

Is it possible that unions have created a higher standard of living for most Americans whether they work for a union or non-union business?

I thought I asked a question?

Think we have a winner!

How does one know when a pension is fully funded?

It's what they call vested, you need so much time on the job to be vested.
It depends on the company , some unions it's as little as 5 years , most companies like to stay around at least 15 to 20 years.
Many non union shops will pay for your education in their field of business, but you have to work for them for a set amount of years .
Others that are union , maybe in shop training at best.
Or volunteer trainers , in some cases.

I'll say it one more time unions did help the workers a great deal , until they became political.