WMC Speaker: "cheap skilled labor" - Go to Eastern Europe. Screw Milwaukee

Every so often Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) holds a Leadership Summit to educate and guide the members on improving their business practices.

Last week they gathered at Chula Vista resort for a presentation from Rick Graber, the former Bush ambassador to the Czech Republic.

According to WisBusiness.com's Tracy Will -  Former Ambassador Graber touts Europe as positive option for state firms:

Graber told the summit that businesses will find “cheap skilled labor in already-industrialized countries.''

"They remain ripe for foreign investment," he said. The former Wisconsin Republican Party chair pinpointed Romania and Bulgaria for basic manufacturing and assembly, adding that the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary are more advanced and offer higher-skilled workers.

If that was not enough, Graber boasted: "'Among my proudest achievements were getting the Czech legislature to pass bills permitting location of missile defense radar in the Czech Republic,' Graber said, adding, 'thanks to the efforts of President George W. Bush.'"

While the rest of the state and the UAW is working to elevate the educational and training opportunities for GM and other displaced workers, retaining and growing existing Wisconsin industrial and business opportunities, WMC, as usual, is riding off in another direction.

This is the same Rick Graber who was chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party and is sometimes mentioned as candidate for governor who plans to represent US businesses who wish to do business in Eastern Europe.

He sees his experience as an opportunity to move US investments to Europe (again the YouTube link).

The future of the Republican Party - "Paul Ryan is a prime example of what the Republican Party needs."

Comments

[R.J.]

They'll be back...when the unions get in and cripple those companies, too.

[Brian]

Gee, maybe Big Labor should have put more effort into promoting the organization of workers around the world instead of support the imperialistic U.S. foreign policy.

Yah think?

If business couldn't move anywhere to reduce labor costs because practically the whole world was labor organized that would be sweet. That's my dream world. And so many hundreds of millions more would be leading more civil, decent, fulfilled lives. The poorer multi billionaires wouldn't bother me a bit.

[antpoppa]

It will be interesting to see if beating down their employees will work anymore, even in Eastern Europe. Rich guys factories are closing down, inventory isn’t moving and sweat shops are closing down, our immigrant labor is moving back across the border.
Survival of the fittest and to hell with the losers!
I just hope the factory owners exporting the jobs export the tent cities they have caused with them. This self-centered attitude is destroying us all.

[Northern Pike]

Why does WMC hate Wisconsin?