Contrary to the statements of labor leaders, the central economic prob

Argument of management:

- Productivity stagnant so economic pie not growing
- Was pie was growing, management could increase wages.
- Now management can't afford

Conclusion: Until productivity resumes its growth, there can be no justification for further increases in the compensation of workers.

We need to look for a weakness.

(A) Although the economic pie is no longer growing, the portion of the pie allocated to American workers remains unjustly small.

It can certainly be the labour leaders' argument. Even if the pie is not growing, the problem is the unjust distribution of current pie. The redistribution of pie is required even if the pie is not expanding.

(B) If management fails to accommodate the demands of workers, labor leaders will be forced to call strikes that will cripple the operation of industry.

This is not correct. It doesn't focus on logical weakness of the given argument. It threatens dire consequences in case demands are not met.

(C) Although productivity is stagnant, the U.S. population is growing, so that the absolute size of the economic pie continues to grow as well.
The argument states that the economic pie is not growing and that has to be taken to be true since it is a premise. Hence, this is not a logical weakness in the argument. Calling another person a liar is not the same as revealing logical weakness in his/her argument.

(D) As a labor leader, I can be concerned only with the needs of working people, not with the problems faced by management.
Again, this is not a logical weakness in the management's argument. This response is same as saying your problem is not my problem.

(E) The stagnation of U.S. industry has been caused largely by factors—such as foreign competition—beyond the control of American workers.
This reveals the reason for the problems being faced by the economy. It doesn't say what the logical flaw of the argument is.

Answer (A)