Let's talk about Trump, a Canadian question, factory jobs, wages, and unions....

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Belle of the Ranch 4 min 1 speaker 5 chapters transcribed 1 month ago
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Why does Trump claim bringing back factory jobs will raise wages?

Belle of the Ranch 0:01
Well, howdy there, internet people, it spell again. So today, we're going to talk about Trump, a Canadian question, factory jobs, wages, and unions. I'm a firm believer in the idea that it's hard to truly understand a system that you're a part of. So we got a question from someone in Canada that might be really enlightening for some. Here we go. Hi Belle, I'm watching from Canada. I've been wondering why the factory jobs Trump is looking to bring back to the US are assumed to also bring higher salaries. Would it not be as or more effective to raise minimum wage for existing jobs?

Would raising the minimum wage be more effective than creating new factory jobs?

Belle of the Ranch 0:50
Increasing income while also maintaining low prices on imports that can be made more cheaply. Will all the factory jobs be unionized? Why not unionize retail and service workers? These are all great questions. We'll take them one at a time. Why are the factory jobs Trump is looking to bring back to the US assumed to also bring higher salaries? Because traditionally factory jobs have higher wages, because unions fought for better wages and working conditions. In fact, generally speaking, when unions win, wages go up for everybody, not just people in the union.

Will all of the new factory jobs be unionized and how would that affect wages?

Belle of the Ranch 1:39
Would it not be as or more effective to raise the minimum wage for existing jobs? It might be more effective if the goal was to actually help American workers. At this point, it seems clear Trump's actual goal is to raise revenue for the federal government and have the burden shift to the working class instead of taxing the wealthy. The tariffs get paid by the importer that pass those costs on, and eventually the taxes are paid by the average American. Trump doesn't seem like an increase the minimum wage kind of guy. In fact, back in March, he actually reduced the allowable minimum wage on federal contracts. The idea that Trump or Republicans care about the working class is just rhetoric and branding.
Belle of the Ranch 2:36
Their record says the exact opposite, but

Why aren’t retail and service workers being unionized under Trump’s plan?

Belle of the Ranch 2:40
Will all factory jobs be unionized? Probably not. Trump is a pretty anti union president. While some of the industries have a strong union presence and might be able to organize the locations on their own. I would expect zero help from the administration. Why not unionize retail and service workers? There are pushes to organize those industries, and they're having some success. But it's not part of Trump's plan.

How does American nationalism turn into brand loyalty and affect political attitudes?

Belle of the Ranch 3:16
These are Canadian questions, because from the outside looking in, it's probably pretty shocking that Americans are going along with some of this nonsense. The key part for Canadians to understand is that American nationalism morphs into brand loyalty for everything, from soft drinks to tech devices. This is why so many Americans have irrational reactions to a company changing its logo. That fierce brand loyalty extends to political parties, and many Republicans will refuse to accept the fact that Republicans in power are actively trying to degrade their standard of living. Anyway. It's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.

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