As more workers and unions look to go on strike due to shrinking municipal and corporate budgets… they may want to think again.
Today, unions are legally recognized as representatives of workers in many industries in the United States. They act as a collective bargaining body working towards the best professional interests of their members.
In 2010, the percentage of workers belonging to a union in the United States was 11.4%. Compared to other global workforces, that’s a small number. Canada has an almost 28% union participation rate… with upwards to 70% in Finland.
For the striking city workers in Hayward, California… a temporary solution was already in place before their strike.
For critical jobs such as 911 operators and workers at the wastewater treatment plant… the city has a contingency plan of putting its managers into the field. They also have a pool of 450 other workers that do not belong to a union. The state public relations board has told strikers that they must show up at work today… and that their strike is illegal.
For many unions, their bargaining powers have greatly diminished with strike contingency plans…and the public image of unions has also tarnished in the light of recent publicity. Will the unions survive?
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