Strikes

[Dionysus]

The first time in my area's history ALL of our main grocery stores went on strike last week. The workers are on lock-out...whatever that means.

That's cool, because I support blue collar workers. But, I wonder how long is this going to last.

Has this ever happend in your area?

How long did it last?

What exactly do they mean by "lock out"?

What are your thoughts on crossing the picket-line?

Did you cross the picket line?

[Lady Pi Phi]

Well if we're talking grocery stores here, unfortunately, if is goes on long enough, you will eventually have to cross the picket line.

[bethany1982]

The workers at the store I usually shop at went on strike, but there are several other good stores that are non-union in the area. Generally speaking, I'd have no problem crossing a picket line. However, in this case, I decided to shop at a different store out of respect for a friend. Now I tend to shop more at the non-union store because their prices are a lot better and I don't mind bagging my own groceries.

[DeltAlum]

A "lock-out" is generally a work stoppage initiated by management in order to combat a tactic they expect from the union.

When I was a new TV director, our engineering union was allegedly dragging it's feet in contract negotiations waiting for the contracts of three other locals in our group to run out, so that from then on all four stations would have co-terminus contracts. The group locked our engineers out, rather than waiting for a strike by at all four stations.

That's just an example.

Hawai`i has to be one of the most unionized states in the nation. In my life I've lived through 3 hotel workers strikes (which affected me because both my parents are/were part of the hotel industry), the 2001 University of Hawaii professors & Hawaii State Teachers strike, one longshoremen/stevedore strike, and most recently, about a month ago--the Bus workers strike.

The 2001 UH professors strike went on for about two weeks, and the public school teachers went on strike for about three, so Hawaii literally had no public education for that whole time as both strikes were going on at the same time. Yes, it was "cool" not having to go to class, but it was a bitch and a half trying to catch up at the end of the semester by going to Saturday and Sunday classes.

The Bus strike went on for a month. It was hell at first to deal with extra cars on the road and carpooling, but after the first week, we all got used to it.

We're a strike-happy state if you want to call it that. Once you hear about an impending longshoreman/stevedore strike, we all know what to do -- we all flock to the stores and stock up on toilet paper and rice.

[kappaloo]

The worst is garbage strikes.... in the middle of the summer. Toronto had one a few years back and NO ONE wanted to go downtown. Yuck!

[SirHornyToad]

they are striking down here, and im crossing the pickett line as a scab, I feel really immoral about it, but I really have alot of bills to pay, like for instance 7,000 to my college before i can register this spring, and with what they are paying me to work temporarily, I cant pass it up. =(