Boeing Machinists Strike

[ricktk]

Boeing production workers vote to strike, for the second time in three years. Walkout begins Thursday.

For the latest developments see: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... 0825.story

[MIKE JG]

Looks like they are going to continue to negotiate for another 48 hours. Two strikes in three years is crazy. One would think both sides would go for an agreement longer than 3 years.

[bismarck]

...Two strikes in three years is crazy...

perhaps it is crazy to live in Italy...
We usually have 2 or 3 strikes per year of City Public Transport, a couple of strikes of fuel distributors (petrol station), at least one of trains and so on...

Ciao

[MIKE JG]

You guys know how to strike over there. I wish we could do that here, workers would have much better lives if we could. Try striking as an airline pilot. The President of the United States can just plain say "no". Talk about complete BS.

[ricktk]

The President of the United States can just plain say "no". Talk about complete BS.

Not BS, its the law of the USA for 61 years.

"The Labor–Management Relations Act, informally the Taft–Hartley Act, is a United States federal law greatly restricting the activities and power of labor unions. The Act, still effective, was sponsored by Senator Robert Taft and Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr. and legislated by over-riding U.S. President Harry S. Truman's veto on June 23, 1947; labor leaders called it the "slave-labor bill" while President Truman argued it would "conflict with important principles of our democratic society" despite subsequently using it twelve times during his presidency. The Taft-Hartley Act amended the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA; informally the Wagner Act), which Congress passed in 1935."

The law was passed over a presidental veto. That is, action by both the House and the Senate is required to override a presidential veto. A two-thirds majority vote of the Members present is required to override a presidential veto. If one house fails to override a veto, the other house does not attempt to override, even if the votes are present to succeed.

Clearly, the representives in Congress, at that time in an overwelming majority, decided to pass the law.

It is doubtful, that any president would invoke this law, as clearly it would be tough for the Boeing unions to hold the USA economy hostage, as could be the case in transportation issues. As our major airlines merge, and become more powerful, you may see this happen, as was done with the railroads much earlier.

[MIKE JG]

It is doubtful, that any president would invoke this law, as clearly it would be tough for the Boeing unions to hold the USA economy hostage, as could be the case in transportation issues. As our major airlines merge, and become more powerful, you may see this happen, as was done with the railroads much earlier.

We're talking about two different laws here. You are quoting the NLRA which is what everyone EXCEPT for transportation companies are governed under.

What I am referring to is the Railway Labor Act, a completely different animal. Our last two presidents have both enacted something called a "Presidential Emergency Board" which is a 60 day freeze on any possible self help action by a labor group. Again, it's the President of the United States telling a labor group, "NO" you will not be allowed to exercise self help for at least another 60 days.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/dec2001/ual-d21.shtml

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_q ... _n14093997

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A961958260

The point is that the Railway Labor Act was written nearly a century ago to protect the American public from a Railroad strike, which at the time the law was written, would have brought the country to a stop.

These days, if one airline shuts down for a period of time, the country will not come to a halt. Will it be inconvienienced, absolutey and that's the whole point from the labor side.

But this ancient law, written decades ago for a different era, is what everyone has to play under. It no longer does what it's supposed to do and labor groups at all transportation businesses have been paying a steep price for a long time now.

This chic