Should I cross a picket line to keep my job?

In My Humble Opinion
1

(Long, but hopefully interesting)

It looks like the steelworkers at the mill where I work are going on strike. They’ve been in negotiations with management for several months now, and judging by the information I’m getting through the grapevine, the talk has been becoming increasingly rancorous on both sides.

Thursday afternoon the workers voted to refuse the latest contract offer and authorize a strike. On Friday they organized a slowdown and many workers began calling in sick and walking off the plant. Unless management buckles this weekend, I expect to see a picket line when I drive to work Monday morning. If so, it will be the first strike at the mill since 1986.

I’m not in the union or management. I’m an office grunt and I should have no dog in this fight. I’m a liberal though, and generally pro union. My parents owe their nice retirement and generous pensions to their union, and they have nothing but good things to say about organized labor, despite the fact that my dad is politically conservative about most other issues.

I wish I had a union to go to bat for me too – I’m not paid particularly well and I don’t enjoy working with the knowledge that my manager has the legal right to fire me if he doesn’t like the color of my socks on a particular day. I honestly believe that the middle class is dying in part because of the decline in unions within the last 30 years or so.

And now, without warning, I’ve been tossed into the middle of a labor dispute, and it’s becoming more difficult to remain neutral. After eavesdropping on a few conversations in the halls, I’m disheartened about the attitudes of my coworkers. The general consensus is that the union workers are a bunch of entitled, spoiled brats and they should shut up, go back to work, and be glad that the company is generous enough to employ them. This is certainly management’s attitude.

To the defense of my coworkers, their careers at the company depend in part upon impressing management, so it’s not like they can hold a pep rally for the union around the water cooler and still expect to climb the corporate ladder. A lot of people are keeping their opinions to themselves, myself included, and I suspect a few of them secretly support the union.

I’m not involved in the gritty details of the negotiations and I don’t know why both parties are being so stubborn. Management is tight-lipped and has made no statements to the local media. Union officials have gone public so I have access to their official story. I’m not generally in contact with the union grunts so I haven’t heard their side of it. I’m sure there are plenty of complicated politics involved. If I’ve learned anything in my 30 years, it’s that disputes are rarely as clear-cut as either side wants to believe.

But I support the union by default, since my politics swing that way, and I’ve heard nothing that leads me to believe that the union is making unreasonable demands.

Their main beef seems to involve something called “right of successorship”, which would give the millworkers some contractual protections if the mill changes ownership. There’s also some squabbling over a $180,000 fund to reimburse union members for lost time accrued during union activities.

Okay, enough background information. On Friday management held an informal talk with the folks in our department (of course they forgot to invite me, but a coworker summarized it for me later). Our instructions are to cross the picket line and come to work Monday morning if at all possible. If we feel threatened in any way, or if crossing the line will create difficulties, we should drive to a nearby parking lot, contact management, and await further instructions.

I’m not sure I want to do it. I am principled enough in my politics that I have a problem with crossing a picket line in general. I don’t really want to lose my job at this time, but the fact is, it’s not the best job in the world, and I would survive if I had to find work elsewhere.

My question to you is this: should I be taking a stand right now? Technically I don’t have a dog in this fight. I owe nothing to the steelworkers. My job stays the same whether the they get their contract or not. This is a job, and I have a duty to obey my boss. I don’t know the full story behind the strike, and I can accept the possibility that managment is actually justified this time around. On the other hand, I’ve been given almost no “official” information by management. They want me to cross a picket line, but they haven’t given me a compelling reason why (aside from the unstated threat of losing my job).

What would you do in this situation?

2

I honestly don’t know what I’d do. My grandfather wouldn’t have crossed a picket line, though.

3

Well, can you get enother job? Can you get a comparable paying job?

Either way, I wouldn’t cross the picket line.

4

Yes. Heres the thing- that Union has chosen to not represent you. Thus you do not have to respect their picket line.

5

is this a relevant question to consider:
why would you personally crossing the picket line make a difference? You are not a scab worker.

I always had the impression that “Crossing the picket line” isn’t just a statement of philosophy (showing that you disagree with the union). I thought it is a practical way of breaking a strike. The person crossing the line is actually going to work on the factory floor, and thus helping the evil managment keep the company functioning, even if it is moving more slowly because of fewer workers.

But from your post, I understand that the union does not represent you. Suppose your boss fires you because he doesnt like the color of your socks, and you decide to picket the office—would the blue collar workers go on strike to defend you, or would they cross your one-man picket line?

(I’ve never had any experience with large unionized companies, so I apologize if I am being totally naive?

6

Meh. The union doesn’t represent you, and you’re not a scab worker, so there’s no big moral issue. No one expects you to go out on strike, right? If you’re really worried, use a sick day.

Now, if you feel like sticking it to your bosses just a tad, I’d claim to feel unsafe, drive to that parking lot, and make them deal with getting you a clear path across the picket line.

7

What they said. You’re not replacing a union worker. The folks on the picket line should understand this and they shouldn’t give you any trouble. They will have been instructed not to harass you.

There were two strikes at the last place I worked. I crossed the picket line to go to work. It didn’t hurt my good relationship with the union people – they’re not stupid, they know the position you’re in.

8

I’d cross the line, but wish the strikers good luck. However, if you receive even so much as a glare from the strikers, and certainly if they verbally harass you, I’d leave and go call management.

The strikers should know not to harass you, but emotions might be running high, particularly on day 1. Tough situation, and it’s difficult to be stuck in the middle.

9

The union does not represent you, and you’re not crossing the line to perform one of the jobs they’re not doing.

Unless you want to show your support for them by ‘striking’ yourself (and thus getting fired), go to work. Personally, I think that would be stupid. They can look out for themselves - that’s what the union is for. There’s no reason for you to make a personal sacrifice just for an ultimately pointless gesture of support. It doesn’t sound like the management is doing anything that’s worth getting worked up over.

10

The union workers have the union to protect their jobs when the strike is over. They’ll slap you on the back and say Arithosa is a great guy/gal for supporting us but when the strike is over they won’t even remember who you are and you’ll be unemployed. For nothing.

11

I admire your support for unions, but this is a dispute between two parties that doesn’t involve you. Party A and Party B are arguing over money, and that’s their problem, not yours. If you don’t like your job and want to quit, by all means quit, but if you want to keep the job you have a responsibility to do as you’re asked as long as you’re not being asked to do anything unsafe or illegal.

You didn’t mention if you have a family to support.

12

Cross the line.

I say this because it’s not your union (would they help you if the boss fired you because of the wrong colour socks?), not for any political reason.

It doesn’t matter what your politics are, IMHO, when it comes to picket lines. A picket line can be a very noble thing as the last resort of genuinely aggrieved working men and women or it can equally be a ruse thought up by corrupt and thuggish union officials. It’s definitely a thing to be taken case by case. I’d cross some picket lines, and I’d help organise others.

13

There was a dispute between one union and (the crass) management where I worked.
Since I belonged to another union, I crossed the line, wishing the lads luck.
They smiled back at me.

As others have said, if you’re not breaking the strike, it doesn’t matter about crossing the line.

14

No, I don’t. That would certainly change things.

As I mentioned, I don’t particularly like this job, and I wouldn’t be overly upset if I got fired. It would be inconvenient to lose my job right at this moment, but I’d survive.

15

You benefit from the union whether you are a member or not. If they get some new benefit ,the company will generally make it available for the white collar workers too. Not out of love,but they do not want you to organize. Generally a company with both white and blue collar workers tries to keep them comparable.

16

Pretty much. Bring some doughnuts or something for the folks on the pickets if you feel like showing your support - I’m sure it would be appreciated.

Another thing you can do to make you feel better about it would be to simply call the union business office and explain your position. I’d say there is about a 95% chance they’d warmly thank you for your support but suggest that as an unrepresented corporate peon, it would be best if you went in to work.

17

Before I came in to offer my own two cents, I asked my wife, who was a union member, the daughter of a union member, and who has personally walked a picket line.

Her response: “That’s a really personal choice. You can’t just decide to cross or not to cross without thinking of the consequences of your decision.”

At least she didn’t automatically say that crossing the line would mean you’re a scab and a union buster.

I say, go ahead and report as scheduled, bring doughnuts, and ask the union management if they’ve ever thought about organizing the office workers.

18

As the daughter of retired union members and a former member of unions, I wouldn’t have issues with the office workers crossing the line.

[Quote]
I’m not in the union or management. I’m an office grunt and I should have no dog in this fight.

[Quote]

True. I’m not sure what your position with the company entails, but if the strike goes on for a while, do you really think that the company won’t lay you off for the duration for lack of work?

You’re in a potentially rotten position right now. I wish you the best, whatever you decide.

missred

19

You have everything to lose and nothing to gain if you stay home. If you need your job to pay your rent and eat, go to work.

20

From what I’ve heard, the company will hire scabs (they call them “temp workers”) as soon as possible to get the mill up and running. There are even rumors that the office workers will be asked to volunteer for training to run some of the mill machinery, but that may just be gossip.