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All car manufacturers except Ford were bailed out, and Ford is about as unionised as anybody else.

Not to mention the bank bailouts, and I don't remember banks being known for their exceptionally strong labour organisation.

The bailouts were the reaction to an exogenous shock, the recession, and have not much to say about labour politics. In fact unions have the ability to collectively negotiate wage stalls, like in Germany in the early 2000s or Scandinavia in the 80s. Which is a positive in recessions to maintain employment and liquidity.



Ford didn't take a bailout for two reasons. First, they had borrowed a bunch of money before the GFC and so had capital that GM and Chrysler didn't.

Second (and more important), taking a bailout would have meant no dividends. Many Ford family members rely on dividends as primary income.




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