IBEW, Manufacturer Partnership Brings Jobs Back from China

[Omaha Steve]

Published on Sep 25, 2013

An assembly plant in Houston, Texas will soon be buzzing with IBEW workers. Neutex Advanced Energy Corporation, in partnership with Houston Local 716, is relocating its core manufacturing from China to the U.S. Organizer Paul Puente helped seal the deal by paying careful attention to the employers' wants and needs. The IBEW will provide trained workers and help the company market its advanced energy products. In exchange all current and newly hired workers will become members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

[aquart]

1. Good work.

And let's all make Made in America a choice selling point.

[Left Coast2020]

2. If Senator Warren runs fro WH in 2016, it will likely be part of her platform.

I hope she says Yes.

[Oldtimeralso]

3. As a 41 year member of the IBEW

I think this is great!

[JDPriestly]

4. The secret of really efficient, effective industry in Germany is the cooperation between

workers and employers. There are a lot of areas in which that cooperation pays off: setting training standards, avoiding strikes or worker discontent, keeping a really orderly, well-organized working area with a proud, enthusiastic workforce. Everyone benefits.

The American tradition is the adversarial relationship between workers and employers. That needs to change. Employers should understand that in most areas they benefit when they treat their employees with respect. And working people will naturally develop a lot of loyalty to their employers if the employers treat them with respect.

[90-percent]

5. I worked for a German company for ten years

I visited the main plant in a suburb of Stuttgart five times. They had a magnificent apprentice program, a lot of community involvement, a lot of tech development and planning for the future.

Last but not least they had a President content with a modest executive salary that was in it for the long haul and for the good of the company.

-jim

[JDPriestly]

6. Thanks. The attitudes of American corporate leaders are just self-destructive.

Working with employees is much better than fostering a competitive, adversarial relationship with them. Employees invest a lot of time, their lives, in developing their skills so that they can work well and profitably in the workplace. In our system that investment is way undervalued.

And today, the workplace demands so much technological expertise and understanding. It isn't just a matter of standing at a machine and making the same judgments and movements all day.

Our employers, our businesses need to grow up. I would love to see more employee-run businesses. But it is so hard to get start-up capital I should imagine. If anyone is thinking of doing it, the Small Business Administration used to offer useful courses and advice. That's a starting place.