Re: Unions and Quality

[FVoehl@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/25/98 11:00:13 PM, ratcliff@radix.net wrote:

<<> Question #2:  in the experience of the many excellent consultants on the
> DEN who've worked with many companies, do today's Unions overall help in
> implementing Quality principles and transformation [i.e. spurring
> leadership to improvement with the "stick" of a strike behind them] or
> impede such [by creating an "us" versus "them" atmosphere.]
> 
> Any takers?>>

I would like to partially answer this question with a recent post from my
friend and associate in Minnesota, Lou Schultz, CEO and founder of Process
Management International.

Dear Frank: In answer to your question on Unions and the Deming Philosophy, we
have a union leader named  Bob Killeen up here.  Bob is a retired United Auto
Workers executive who believes strongly in Deming.  He says Deming personifies
everything the labor movement has been striving for.  Bob was a personal
friend of  Walter Reuther and others of that era.  Bob also says that you
can't lead  a labor movement in the same manner today that they did in the
thirties just as you can't manage in the same way.  Times have changed.  I
have heard him say that if he were active today, he would put quality on the  
table as a strike issue.  "Either you get a quality initiative going or   
we walk!"  Bob feels the job of labor leadership is to protect jobs and   
if the company does not have a good quality effort underway, he is not   
sure they will be around to provide the jobs.  -Lou

Frank Voehl (FVoehl@aol.com)
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