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RJ-MacReady

(565 posts)
Fri May 23, 2025, 09:05 AM Friday

manufacturing in the US

Our side needs to counter with, ok you want manufacturing here thats wonderful we demand $30 and hour to start with yearly raises. Full benefits and 6 weeks paid vacation.

None will do this and thats the point.

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mwmisses4289

(1,110 posts)
2. Rein in ceo pay.
Fri May 23, 2025, 10:33 AM
Friday

They can only make 20x the lowest base pay in the u.s. And since that is waitstaff whose base pay is around $2.20 per hour, that is the max any ceo should get.
Anyone should be able live to on $40+ dollars per hour, amirite?

Melon

(337 posts)
4. Why do we need to "counter"
Fri May 23, 2025, 10:54 AM
Friday

Bringing jobs to the US? We don’t need to appose everything that happens. We pick areas that are detrimental to the US and counter those with solutions from our party.

RJ-MacReady

(565 posts)
5. we don't want those jobs
Fri May 23, 2025, 11:19 AM
Friday

Unless they are paid at the above wages. We are past that point in America. We will never have an industrial economy ever again. Its just not a possibility.

Melon

(337 posts)
7. The US is advantaged on some pieces of manufacturing
Fri May 23, 2025, 07:34 PM
Friday

Specifically polyethylene plastics and downstream. We have a natural gas and fracking advantage. We gave away those jobs a long time ago and they could have still been done here. There are plenty of underpaying jobs throughout our economy that manufacturing is a premium to what they are doing. You would still never “ give away”. If it can be done here, there is a reason.

Even some textiles are still here. It’s more specialty. But it’s here.

ProfessorGAC

(72,797 posts)
10. Chemicals, Too
Fri May 23, 2025, 08:30 PM
Friday

Especially true with commodity chemicals. The margins are so thin that the shipping would outweigh any labor cost savings. Easily.
Our company had sites in China, but for the Chinese market. Any exports were to southeast Asia, S. Korea, or India. But, nothing was repatriated.
It just doesn't make economic sense.
So, that manufacturing sector is pretty solid, too.

Melon

(337 posts)
12. Absolutely. Especially ethane/ethylene derivatives
Sat May 24, 2025, 12:55 PM
Saturday

We do want manufacturing jobs here. China is cheaper due to their government subsidies and how they price to enter markets. That does not make them profitable. The US can compete with our manufacturing on a surprising range of products and that’s not by not paying the workers. China manufacturing is struggling in many areas because their policies are not sustainable forever. The tariffs are tipping the balance.

I remember visiting a manufacturing plant in Canada. Way more expensive that the US. In the back they had a single manufacturing line producing fly swatters. It doesn’t get more basic and each one didn’t sell for much….but it made money.

ProfessorGAC

(72,797 posts)
13. Chinese Chemical Plants
Sat May 24, 2025, 01:05 PM
Saturday

The company I worked for had 2 sites there.
As a result of my work there, I've been in several other Chinese plants.
While the model their operations after US & European operations, their designs are lacking. Not on the safety & environmental side, but on the efficiency side. The technical staffing reflects that blindspot.
So, throughput (vessel times, empty to empty) are woeful. And, we didn't have our most sophisticated operations there because of the constant concern over the integrity of intellectual property & trade secrets.
One of our sites, making a precursor for insulating foams was producing 3 different flavors at a total of nearly 350 million pounds per year with a total staff of 60 & 3 reaction trains. (Including management & support staff)
A copycat Chinese owned site made 200 million pounds with 105 people & 5 reactions trains.
Too many assets, too many people to make 60% of output.
So, I get where you're going.

Melon

(337 posts)
14. Spot on....
Sun May 25, 2025, 12:10 AM
Sunday

I’ve seen the same. They are manufacturing for employment versus the same profit. The outcome is much worse. Capitalism in the US has created pain in some area, but our push to innovation and efficiency is second to none.

MichMan

(15,180 posts)
6. There are millions of people currently working for much less than that in all sorts of occupations.
Fri May 23, 2025, 11:32 AM
Friday

Why would someone currently making $14 per hour turn down a manufacturing job making $17-22 per hour? Mostly with weekends off.

KentuckyWoman

(6,998 posts)
9. The last time we were a manufacturing powerhouse...
Fri May 23, 2025, 08:06 PM
Friday

The US government allowed them to shit up the land and waterways. There's an EPA superfund site not far from where I live that is slated to be monitored for the next 100 years. For plant that was only there 30 years.

They want to take it back to that era.

And I say this with no joy. I'm raised in a union household. Married a union man. Thank the people who fought so hard for any comfort in retirement I have. Growth in manufacturing can hopefully strengthen unions... and I am ALL for that.

But we cannot bring factories back without the environmental controls.

Melon

(337 posts)
15. I'm in Chemicals
Sun May 25, 2025, 12:14 AM
Sunday

It’s not 1980. Plus you can’t build in neighborhoods usually due to regulations. The same workers who run the plants live in the neighborhoods. Nobody wants environmental issues. But to be clear, when we built a plant in Mexico or china, we build to the tightest environmental specs we have, globally. The US has very tight controls. The reasons plans are built in the outskirts or in designated areas is for regulations and costs.

womanofthehills

(9,796 posts)
11. Often lots of pollution from manufacturing
Fri May 23, 2025, 11:35 PM
Friday

Most people would not want a factory in their neighborhood- so like always - any new factories will be where the low income people live.

Melon

(337 posts)
16. It's because plants or factories need room and other requirements
Sun May 25, 2025, 12:18 AM
Sunday

We look at
Cost including subsidies
Environment
Employees.

It’s a benefit to build in poor areas. It’s total opposite of the purpose in what you are saying. Manufacturing jobs pay well. They have good benefits. We often employee husbands and sons or wives. We provide scholarships for children. The poor neighborhoods will always be poor because of your mindset.

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