tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post1539692565186899358..comments2024-03-27T19:12:49.609-07:00Comments on Midlife Cycling: They Busted Their Unions And Broke Their BrandsJustine Valinottihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-45285478022853585272016-09-07T15:05:30.347-07:002016-09-07T15:05:30.347-07:00Brroks, Mike and Philip--Interesting that you all ...Brroks, Mike and Philip--Interesting that you all cite complacency as a cause of Schwinn's, AMF's and the US cycling industry's fate. And, as you all point out, managers of those companies look everywhere but in the mirror for causes of their industry's decline.<br /><br />Brooks--Thank you for the compliment.<br /><br />Mike--"The anti-union kool-aid" is an apt description.<br /><br />Philip--I love the lines of that '37 CWC bike, too. It does, as you say, have a kind of Dr. Suess quality. Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-76608663129810684092016-09-07T10:10:56.672-07:002016-09-07T10:10:56.672-07:00Complacency was a common failing of American compa...Complacency was a common failing of American companies after the war. Once they came up with a workable product their attitude seemed to be "well we got that one figgered out, let's sit on our asses and wait for the cash to roll in". There seemed to be very little pressure to innovate. You saw this across industry, from Indian motorcycles to Sunbeam toasters. It's just to easy to blame it on the workers.<br /> I really like the lines of that '37 CWC Roadmaster you have pictured. The tubes have a sort of Dr Seuss quality about them.Phillip Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553979458131339924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-81065370358621339472016-09-06T14:32:47.240-07:002016-09-06T14:32:47.240-07:00It's a shame that so many companies put so muc...It's a shame that so many companies put so much effort into fighting their labour force that could be better spent in improving their product or just keeping their doors open. <br /><br />And when they do fail, instead of facing themselves in the mirror, they run crying about how the unions ruined them. Sadly, many people have drunk the anti-union kool-aid and just nod in agreement.mike w.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10317710564489321690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-90337786301173521602016-09-06T14:29:11.766-07:002016-09-06T14:29:11.766-07:00That's a great post for Labor Day. I know a lo...That's a great post for Labor Day. I know a lot of people blame the demise of Schwinn's American manufacturing on the labor union and the strike, but that view leaves out the reality of years and years of neglecting the Chicago factory, the failure to invest in new machinery and tooling, bad management decisions, and a lot of complacency in the face of new trends. The AMF story follows a similar pattern, and the story was played out again and again with only minor differences across the industry.Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.com