The Difference a Union Makes - a podcast by School of International Service

There is, perhaps, no better measure of a country than how it treats its workers, and Germany, the world’s fourth-largest economy, is a manufacturing powerhouse that is known for its progressive ideals on labor relations.

In this episode of Big World, SIS professor Steve Silvia joins us to discuss labor in Germany and to contrast its labor relations with that of the US. He explains why the German manufacturing sector is so strong (1:50), the differences between German and American attitudes toward unions (4:52), and the way German unions engage with politics (8:41).

What does ‘exporting power’ mean, and why is it so difficult for unions to do (16:31)? Silvia discusses how German trade unionists have tried to export power to German car plant workers in the US (20:08).

After a decade of economic expansion, Germany narrowly avoided a recession at the end of 2018. Silvia breaks down why the country has dealt with several economic hardships over recent years (22:35). He also takes a look into the future to discuss some of the challenges that labor markets in Germany and the US may face in five to ten years (24:10).

During our “Take Five” segment, Silvia tells us some things he would change about labor relations (12:33).

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