The propaganda wouldn't work on its own unless the employees were dumb or mindless, which they aren't. They are intelligent human beings who want to look after

The propaganda wouldn't work on its own unless the employees were dumb or mindless, which they aren't. They are intelligent human beings who want to look after their self-interest, just like everyone else. So, what is in their self-interest? The last paragraph of the article gives the bigger picture. It identifies the stark difference between the blue collar work environment of yesteryear's steel industry, and today. Today, an unskilled worker doesn't face the prospect of being blue collar for life. There is no permanent employment at the steelworks or the motor vehicle company. Companies aren't permanent - they come and go. So instead of relatively secure, low paid blue collar careers, they are funnelled into warehouses, call centres, and sales, which is a pathway to entrepreneurship, however bleak or mild, or promising or exciting. Today's unskilled workers look out into the future and sees sink or swim - it's all up to themselves. That's not a recipe for collective bargaining - it's a recipe for looking after number 1.