exit workforces act as 'veto-players’

[meliss]

Hi. Could you please explain me what does it mean "exit workforces"? Thank you.
"..unions face the threat of exit workforces act as ‘veto-players’, and a growing low-wage sector with a precarious workforce, weak unionisation and often without either collective bargaining coverage or works councils (Trade Unions in Western Europe: Hard Times, Hard Choices).

 

[BobK]

Are you sure you've transcribed it accurately? It would be syntactically correct if it said '...the threat of exitting workers acting as 'veto-players...', but it still wouldn't make sense unless we knew what 'veto players' meant. This might have been defined earlier in the document, or it might have ome special meaning to people who understand the context. It might, for example, be referring to people leaving a position, with the remaining workforce unable to do their jobs without that person. Maybe that's what a 'veto player' is , but the common expression in that case would be 'key worker' or 'key player'. It's not an expression I've ever met.

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[MikeNewYork]

I agree with Bob's changes (except for the spelling of "exiting" (AmE). The term "veto-players" is explained here.

 

[BobK]

Maybe BrE as well. I think the American rule is preferable, but ours is confused by stress (leveling but repelling)... PROBABLY. Anyway, I'm confused! (If a Br E teacher knows the rule, please tell - I'm not sure that Mike's implication (that exitting is right in Br E) is safe ;-)

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[charliedeut]

Anyway, I'm confused!

:shock: Then we're all doomed! :shock:

 

[MikeNewYork]

@BobK: I didn't imply that "exitting" was correct in BrE. That was the way you spelled it. I didn't say it was wrong because I didn't know.

The rule that we use in AmE is general one. We double the final consonant following a short vowel in words of one syllable and in words with more than one syllable when the stress is on the last syllable. In "exit" the stress is on the first syllable.

The rule is a general rule but there are exceptions.

 

[Roman55]

If a Br E teacher knows the rule, please tell

I am not a teacher, as I keep mentioning, but I do know the rule and it's basically what Mike said.

sit - sitting, but visit - visiting

Two exceptions in BrE to the rule are, travel - travelling, and cancel - cancelling.

 

[BobK]

@BobK: I didn't imply that "exitting" was correct in BrE. That was the way you spelled it. I didn't say it was wrong because I didn't know.

...

:up: No, you didn't. But the inference was there to be drawn by students with an inflated opinion of my omniscience

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