Message edited 6/23/2009 12:11:21 PM.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I know I've heard that you shouldn't cross a picket line but it was never really stressed when I was growing up, and I come from a totally blue collar family.

If I saw a picket line I'd want to know what they were standing up against before I made my decision as to whether or not I should cross it.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

my dad has instilled that rule in us from the time we were little, my daddy worked as a boss in the coal mine for 39yrs. and NEVER crossed the picket line. so NO your family is not freaks, listen to your dad, unions were strong back then, to bad unions are not like that now !! HOORAY, for our DADDY'S !!!!!

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Coming from a country almost run by unions, I have seen my share of picket lines.

I never understood why people think it's OK to block others from working. It's everyone's choice to do so or not.

Just because someone does not agree with something and wants to go on strike does not mean everyone can afford it or wants to.

Freedom is for everybody.

If I was EVER stopped from crossing a picket line, I would ask each and everyone to give me the $$$ to compensate my paycheck. Plain and simple. It's nobody's business what others do.

I find it scandalous and outrageous that people impose their fights on someone else. I am all for the right to strike. Just don't impose your will/vision on me.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

and I know that when our last contract was up and we walked, our union got us back our lost wages....look how hard we fought for no mandatory overtime, are state rep. came to work with me to walk a day in my shoes, well at 2:00pm he was ready to go, and I was like oh, I am sorry there are holes in the schedule, you have to work a double, unless we can find someone to relieve you, then you can leave earlier, well he almost crapped his pants. well of July 1st, there is no mandatory overtime.. WHY,because the union fought to abolish it...

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I agree with Sophie.

and I think THIS is disgusting. and part of a bully culture that is allowed to exist alongside of all the good things a union CAN do for it's members.

Posted by Tilde

Yup, thats the term they used for my dad - a scab! Oh well, he is a scab that was able to provide food and shelter for his family - not a bad rap if you ask me!

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I just wanted to point out that this is an interesting debate considering that today is "May Day" or "International Workers Day". Happy May Day everyone!

I find this reason enough for DH and I to celebrate tonight since we're both union members!

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I grew up in a Union household. I learned about Unions early on from my father.

I have never crossed a picket line, although I've also never had to make that choice.

But I honestly don't know if I could. Not because it's something that was forbidden, but because I wouldn't want to disrespect something my father so fully suppported and believed in. Because of the union my father was never without work for the 40+ years he was an active member (he's now retired).

ETA: Proud supporter of Local 25 IBEW

Message edited 5/1/2009 2:13:20 PM.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

As the daughter of a man who was out of work in the construction layoffs of the 70's, I knew about "scabs" from an early age.

If you don't know the dues, and time, and training, and hard work that goes into a union job, it might be easier to ignore the picket. But my family has a collective 100 years in the IUEC, and if it's for good reasons, I ain't crossing.

I know it's not perfect, I know there is corruption and favoritism. But the good outweighs the bad for us, and at least as far as NYC, it's a way of life.

Message edited 5/1/2009 12:37:58 PM.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I grew up union too (post office and school). and I'm union today (teacher). I think the teamsters gave unions a bad name. Most union members are decent, hardworking people. (seriously, school secretaries bullying people? probably not)


Most of the working consitions we all enjoy were obtained from unions standing up for workers.


When I lived in SoCal, the grocery store union went on strike. We only had trader joes, whole food and a local grocery as alternatives. I remember that I forgot the first day and pulled into the parking lot, saw them and turned around and they all started cheering. I even brought the strikers apples from the local store. For 3 months - I never entered one of the major grocers (except to recycle plastic bags)

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I come from a white collar family and work a white collar job now. I am not a huge union fan. I think some are better than others. I guess I believe that individuals should be rewarded based on their individual performance. I don't think entire unions should get raises just because. And unfortunately a lot of the time that the strike it hurts innocent people that have nothing to do with what their comoensation should be.

Why should I not be able to go to my job because the railroad is on strike, or why should my kids be deprived days in school because their teachers are on strike?

They need to rework how they compensate people. In my company I have goals to meet. If I do I am rewarded if not I get zip!

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Posted by Tilde

Yup, thats the term they used for my dad - a scab! Oh well, he is a scab that was able to provide food and shelter for his family - not a bad rap if you ask me!

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I am not sure whether I would cross a picket line, no one ever really talked about it while I was young, but I will admit that I am fairly anti-union. I know this will not be a popular opinion here, but any unions, in my opinion, create a culture of medicosy. There is no incentive to perform better at your job, or to create a better product you are going to get what the union negotiates for you. I think a lot of industries have been really hurt by inflexible unions (take the UAW for example) and when industries hurt, eventually so do their workers, even if in the immediate term they are getting better contracts.

Example: compare UPS and FedEx. UPS is union, FedEx is not. Most people I know far prefer the service and have less problems with FedEx than they do with UPS.

I will note that I see the usefulness of a union in work contexts where there are safety concerns to ensure that workers' safety is protected, but outside of that contexts (such as with secretaries and other office workers), I just don't get the need.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Posted by Tilde

Posted by Porrruss

Posted by smdl

Coming from a country almost run by unions, I have seen my share of picket lines.

I never understood why people think it's OK to block others from working. It's everyone's choice to do so or not.

Just because someone does not agree with something and wants to go on strike does not mean everyone can afford it or wants to.

Freedom is for everybody.

If I was EVER stopped from crossing a picket line, I would ask each and everyone to give me the $$$ to compensate my paycheck. Plain and simple. It's nobody's business what others do.

I find it scandalous and outrageous that people impose their fights on someone else. I am all for the right to strike. Just don't impose your will/vision on me.

I suppose the idea is that for the good of the group, we all need to make sacrifices. By choosing to go against the group, you undermine that effort- yet reap the rewards of those who sacrificed their time and paychecks. I don't see it as imposing a fight on anyone- but of course that's just MY view. Picket lines are not an individual effort.

I'll be honest- part of my reason for NEVER crossing a picket line is I don't want the SCAB term ever associated with my name. I worked for 2 union airlines (represented by AFA and TWU) and in both airlines we all knew who the SCABS were. Some of them had crossed picket lines 20 years earlier at totally different companies.

Is it right? I suppose not to many people- especially those who are non-union. But, like the people who crossed those lines had the freedom to do so, those left to fight the good fight and make sacrifices have the freedom to always remember.

Yup, thats the term they used for my dad - a scab! Oh well, he is a scab that was able to provide food and shelter for his family - not a bad rap if you ask me!

Message edited 5/1/2009 1:14:28 PM.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Posted by MissingLI

Posted by Tilde

Yup, thats the term they used for my dad - a scab! Oh well, he is a scab that was able to provide food and shelter for his family - not a bad rap if you ask me!

My dad too. I think the phone company went on strike twice when my dad was in it. The first time he walked with the line, went on strike. The second time my brother and I were around and were pretty young. I think he left for a while but ended up crossing the line because my family couldn't afford to live without him earning a paycheck. He didn't like it, but he did what he had to do for us. In a weird way I'm even more proud of him for that.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Strikers who engage in picket line misconduct are not entitled to reinstatement should the strike end and union employees return to work. I have seen this a few times but more often than not, picket lines are free from physical assaults (as they should be). Typically, the employer will call the police department and the police will set up the blue barricades to protect other workers and customers who choose to cross the picket line or shop at a particular store and to keep the entrances and exits clear.

In the Verizon cases in 2000/2001, there were some instances of throwing eggs at the cars of workers who drove through picket lines and at trucks driven by those workers. Those were the worst instances I have heard of in the NY area in the past 10 years. Certainly, throwing eggs is very dangerous and as far as I can recall, those workers were not reinstated. (I happen to agree with that decision).

The act of verbally calling someone a "scab" is unpleasant but I think its probably protected as free speech. It's mean but I imagine its not unlawful.

Re: Never cross a picket line..

Re: Never cross a picket line..

I am a teacher and my dad was part of Local 3. I would never cross a picket line. We almost went on strike in NYC in 2002 or so, and I got the lecture from my dad.