Yeah, I wonder what the conflict of interest is here.
Imagine how high profits could be if they didn't have to pay a wage at all!
It seems plausible, but I'd like some evidence before accepting your claim.
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/frederickallen/2011/12/21/germa...
And is there any scenario in which US companies wouldn't blame unions? As long as labor costs are above zero, any failure can somehow be pinned on unions, while management and shareholders avoid getting called 'leeches'.
Strikes didn't "force" automation, the market did. Consumers did.
The reason why the US car industry really died is that the US car industry refused to compete, getting Congress in their pockets to ban their competition instead. So blaming unions while designing four-wheeled boats that got 15 MPG downhill, then legislating yourself to be the only choice... is hilarious! It's also against the entire spirit of the free market.
"Free market" when it comes to labor.
"Necessary protections" when it comes to international competition.