Vision to Action

30+ years before Saudi butchers flew 9/11 jets, I called out American businesses (and PBS!) for 4-hour propaganda series. (Read More)

When Polish authorities banned the Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union Solidarność, I co-founded Committee in Support of Solidarity (Union-supported) to relay info from underground Solidarność in Paris to U.S. media. (Read More)

I was assigned by the AFL-CIO to run a small union-support office in Jakarta. The terms of our cooperation agreement with Indonesian authorities required US to work only with the gov’t-controlled federation; No way was I going to comply! (Read More)

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Jeff Ballinger for MA 3rd District U.S. Congress

“Delivering medical supplies for Puerto Rico storm victims.”

I’ve worked “out in the global economy” for nearly two decades. Because of my research and advocacy skills, tens of millions became familiar with the “outsourcing” phenomenon that blew through the U.S. in the 1970s (before the much-derided free-trade deals, by the way). That paradigm still rules in most low-skill manufacturing, summed up nicely here by (at the time) Nike board member, Nobel Laureate and Dean of Stanford’s Business School, Philip H. Knight Professor Michael Spence. He told a group of students that businesses must be “ruthless about out-sourcing.”

Food for thought: Zara (part of Inditex) is a Spanish company that the Wall Street Journal reported last summer still produces nearly two-thirds of apparel in Spain and Portugal. (There are the usual issues with the “other” third, of course.) Inditex is the world’s biggest clothing retailer – very profitable and growing in a tough retail environment.

Likewise, Germany continues to maintain manufacturing as a large share (25%) of its economy – about twice the share that manufacturing has in the U.S. economy. How do the Germans do it? Are there any lessons for the U.S.? This is one of the strengths of German Mittelstand companies: They’re often family-owned and focus on long-term success, not on maximizing short-term profits. They pay attention to quality.

Most of what you’ll see on this website is quite critical of U.S. corporate power & production practices (especially worker rights), but we have some excellent counter-examples right here in the Merrimack Valley: Jim Davis of New Balance is producing sneakers in Lawrence and Market Basket staved off a takeover by a conglomerate in a unique uprising of both workers and consumers! In the realm of good bosses, Aaron Feuerstein, former owner/CEO of Malden Mills is legendary; he expressed utter disdain for textile businesses that ran off to Asia (and he bargained with the ILGWU).

Vision to Action

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