The General Public is Seriously Misinformed About How the Economy Works. The 'Big Dogs' in Our Economy (Accounting for More Than 60% of GDP) are Publicly-Traded Corporations. They Focus 24/7 on Maximizing Short-Term Profits (Reported Quarterly) for Their Stockholders. As a Result of Their Business Model - Publicly-Traded AND Privately Held Companies Tend to Apply the '"Grow Leaner and Meaner" and "Do More With Less" in their Businesses ALL THE TIME! This Business Model Reduces Employees to 'Nothing More' than Costs To Be Controlled. Dignity, Respect and Common Decency Take a 'Back Seat' to Lowering Costs. Somewhere in the Backs of Peoples' Heads there is an Unease with this 'Greed-Driven' Model. The Job of Union Leaders AND Members is to Help Bring It to the Front of Peoples' Minds. Let Them Know that such Anti-Employee Dignity Behavior is the Result of 'Planned' Behavior and TOGETHER We Can Challenge It and Make the Workplace Fairer and More Just.
Then there is the Cultural Norm that Encourages All of Us to Think of Ourselves as 'Individuals' Rather Than as Part of a 'Community' - a Community that 'Works Best' When We Have Each Others' Backs.