In today’s world of manufacturing, industry and fast economic development, one metal stands out more than most others. That metal is aluminum. There are many reasons why this wondrous metal is so important to today’s economies. Let’s examine how this metal affects the world and how unions and unionization are affecting the production, extrusion, and fabrication of this metal.
What is the Aluminum Extrusion Process?
Aluminum extrusion is simply a process where the raw aluminum is turned into extruded profiles that are shapes which can be used in manufacturing. These shapes take on a variety of forms and sizes and typically are built according to the requirement of the customer. Many companies who supply extruded aluminum have the manufacturing capability of producing large, small and a variety of other aluminum profile shapes. This extrusion process is critical because it is the basis of the fabrication of aluminum. Aluminum extruders include some large players such as Signature Aluminum and Alcoa.
The companies that use the fabricated aluminum include airplane manufacturers such as Boeing, car companies such as Tesla, Ford, and GM as well as other factories all over the world.
Unionization in the Industry
In the last few decades, the manufacturing industry has been the leader regarding unionization numbers. Companies with assembly lines, in particular, tend to be very popular among unions because of the type of work that they do, and the compensation that they expect to have. In many cases, the workers want more compensation, benefits, and working conditions. It should be said that in most scenarios, the manufacturing companies listen to their employees and attempt to create a working environment that is suitable for both the owners and the workers.
In a minority of cases, the workers have had to form unions to deal with a senior management team that was not listening to its employees. These cases are not common, and they are unfortunate. However, with the advent of the unions, management has had to listen to their people to keep the manufacturing lines going. It is a win-win situation when both the workers and management are happy because, at the end of the day, it is about satisfying the needs of the customer. Not only that but with industries such as aluminum fabrication and extrusion experiencing tremendous growth, it is crucial to keep the supply of aluminium going strong in order to feed the hungry demands of the world economies.
Working Together
A lesson can be learned from those who have come before us. And that lesson is that it is much more profitable to work together for the benefit of all instead of working against each other. Companies and workers realize this today, and they are putting their differences aside to make their factories, their manufacturing companies, and their businesses a success. And that is a great story!