1).

The steel industry, lead by the United Steel Workers of America (USWA) has also had a substantial force in the promotion of collective bargaining agreements. As well as being a skilled, blue-collar industry, the steel industry shares with automotive industry the common feature that it is deemed integral to the success of the U.S. economy as a whole, thus increasing worker's bargaining power. "Access to steel supply has been deemed an essential feature of every developing economy," (Mangum 1997, p.4).

This is one reason why in the current economic stimulus bill, protection for the steel industry were included, even though officially the U.S. does not support protectionism. Also, the American automobile industry's rehabilitation is seen as key in the redevelopment of the American economy as a whole: 'As GM goes, so goes the nation,' is the often-repeated common wisdom. Although unions are less powerful today, unions in these industries...
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