Although I support most aspects of unions, the right to strike is not one of them. Walking off the job and shutting a company down in a contest to see who can hold out the longest has absolutely nothing to do with getting a fair deal. In fact, in any other case, it would be called extortion. On top of that, often it is unionized and lower-paid people that end up suffering the most.
There is nothing wrong with workers uniting and walking off the job in protest if they feel it is warranted, but the right to form picket lines or other actions that would interfere with company operations should be illegal. Also, if employees have the right to walk off the job it makes sense the company should also have the right to replace those people permanently if they can find new employees to work under the same conditions and wages. This would make it fairer because if the reason for the employees walking off the job is sound, then the company will have trouble finding anyone to replace them with. If the employees walking off the job feel their skills are worth more than their current pay and conditions, they should have no problem finding a better job elsewhere. Issues over job safety should be settled by the labor board.
For most of us workers it’s hard to get perspective or care about a company’s point of view so imagine this: You hire a baby sitter to come to your house to look after your kids while you are at work. Both of you agree to a wage, hours and working conditions. After 6 months the babysitter demands more money, wants you to pay for a pension for them and wants more time off. There is no way you can afford there demands so you refuse. The next day they are at the end of your sidewalk with a picket sign blocking your car from leaving the driveway and holding up friends and visitors trying to enter and leave your house. You call the police but are told the babysitter is not breaking the law and there is nothing they can do. Not only that even though there are many other qualified people that would be happy to do your striking babysitter’s job for less, you are not allowed to hire them and must come to an agreement with the striking babysitter. The babysitter has other financial means of support and is able to stay on strike for 6 months or longer.
The worst part of a strike however, is not about being unfair for companies. The real victims are the less fortunate ones that have nothing to do with it. Farmers that can’t get their harvest to market because of a rail strike. Single parents scrambling for daycare once again because just after school support workers avert a strike the teachers threaten to walk off. Or people making minimum wage that can’t get to work because of transit workers making multiple times their salary walk off the job.
Dave Lister
listerlogic.com