I would guess it’s a variant on Henry Ford paying his workers enough to afford his own product (before Ford cars were toys for the wealthy). If unions are strong and have mandated board representation across a wide range of companies then wages and benefits in the country tend to be higher (though not ruinous to the company). This means that many (but certainly not all) consumer goods and services companies in the country become more profitable because more workers can afford their products.
Cory puts his own hyperbolic stylistic spin on it, but that’s nothing new.
