Union tries new ways to win sympathy, but will it work?
October 21, 2012 at 1:30 am in Grand Forks Herald
Union leaders and management officials claim the public is on their side, but labor experts say public opinion has limited impact in labor disputes. Continue Reading
This is desparation. Can the union sink any lower?
The union and the former ACSC workers should be ashamed of themselves for bringing children into this. It is not ACSC fault, it is the stubborn, foolish, and koolaid drinking workers fault. They don’t know a good deal when they see it. The former workers are the greedy ones, thinking they “deserve” more.
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Out of options and desperation at its lowest. Way to manipulate your children locked out workers. Your children want to play sports, go out and get new jobs so you can afford it! Its called parenting.
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I work for Ecolab, we were just told on Thursday that they are shutting us down in a few months. For clarification, I did not walk out of this job because of an unfair contract.. they actually told us we can’t work for them anymore.
Did it hurt? yes. Did i cry about it? yes. Am i going to fall down to the floor and flail about like a child demanding that they now owe me something? no. I got up, dusted myself off, and opened the job section of the paper.
It is my sincere hope that after a year of this current behavior, you can find it within yourself to stand up and do right by your families. Life dealt you a less than favorable card, deal with it. I know I have to!
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I’m sorry this happened to you and your co-workers. You are doing the right thing by looking for a different job right away. Best of luck to you in your job search. I would have to think the toughest part about this is losing your health insurance. I feel for people with pre-existing conditions. I hope there is something available to them so they are able to continue their coverage.
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Kennedy-Kassenbam insures all members of a group regaurdless of preexisting conditions. I may have mispelled kassenbam’s name but everyone who cares can look it up! So if you have a preexisting illness, the employer group will cover you by Federal Legislation and signed into law perhaps by President Clinton.
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In cases such as ecolab, Often one of the workers steps up, takes over that business when the company they worked for leaves. It leaves them a hole in the market to be filled. The worker knows inefficiencies that were done by the outgoing company, does their best to solve them as they emerge.
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What you say is true for a stand alone company. Ecolab was an administrative hub for a larger company. Unfortunately there is no void left to fill.
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When these kids grow up they will find that the reality in everyones life is the choice they make to work or not. Most will realize that thier parents could have been working all along and the contract was fair. Most people do not have a benifit package that is even close to what crystal offers and most people do not work in a place where due to time on the job they are entitled to promotions. Unfortunately the kids of these union workers will probably gr ow up with the thought they too are entitled to low cost insurance and gaurantees of promotion, regardless of work performance or education. This is a new low for the union, most people see it this way. It is very hard to feel sorry for anyone who uses this type of a tactic or continues to not go back to work when a fair contract is available to be passed by voting. Unions are a thing of the past. Move on.
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Just another new low for the Union. Will the leftover union members ever realize Riskey lives in La La land and not on Minto? He has lead them all over a cliff.
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“All because of you, I can’t really get a good education or even be able to play any sports…”
This is really sad. I’d be more upset about it, but I’m hoping that anyone reading it or watching the YouTube video takes the time to consider how OTHER FOLKS pay for educational or extra curricular activity expenses.
Somebody refresh my memory….the percentage of workers in this country that aren’t union is….what again? And their expenses are handled….how again?
The lead-off wording “All because of you” makes it crystal clear, (no pun intended), that the kids put in front of the camera have learned their “lessons” well. It’s difficult to think objectively yourself when everything you hear from those you trust has tossed objectivity right out the window.
Raise your hand if YOU would put your kids up to this.
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Maybe once these kids grow up and realized they were used by their parents and union they’ll understand. Their parents walked off their job, then are upset because their jobs were filled with new workers who want to work. When the kids wise up, they’ll realize the reason they can’t go to school or play sports is because their parents quit their jobs, maybe these kids need to start demanding answers from mom and dad and not ACS.
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Sandra, Ask your dad to sign the contract and get back to work. It’s as simple as that. He is the one letting you down.
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Wow, I wanted to comment on this but you all totally nailed it!
Kids, it’s your parents who let you down. Now, grow up and start assigning accountability where it belongs.
And by the way, if you want some stuff . . . get a job.
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You know.. I really really hate it when people get divorced and use the kids as pawns in order to justify their horrible behavior… This.. this is a new all time low.
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My heart breaks for these children. The trash that is being fed into their minds by their parents. It is obvious they were not going to get a “good” education no matter what the circumstances behind their choices of employment. My kids are getting a great education in a public school which, if I may remind parents, EVERYONE, is entitled to. A person gets out of life what they put into life. These kids don’t stand a cold chance in H… of bettering their lives because their parents are holding them back. Sad, sad, sad.
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I threw up in my mouth a little reading this tripe. I am a nurse. I work with death, destruction, loss, and sadness for a living. By having these kids read this garbage in front of the camera cheapens the experience of those who are suffering from no fault of their own. Their parents should be ashamed.
Epic Fail
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I don’t even know what to say…I thought the union hit a new low when they started protesting and asking for the public’s support in boycotting local stores that sell products from Crystal sugar, but this latest union ploy is the lowest of lows! There is no turning back now.
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“The workers voted down a contract that did not benefit them and would only lose more by signing it.”
How is it again that the union members are better off by not having a job/paycheck?
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” The workers voted down a contract that did not benefit them ”
Very insightful.
Did the workers consider the consequences of the “no” votes and whether or not those consequences would benefit them? The “leadership” has said from the beginning that this lock-out was planned far in advance. Did the “leadership” encourage the workers to grab a piece of paper and make a “pros” and “cons” list before casting a vote? Were they, (the leadership or workers), even aware that there could be “cons” to a *no* vote?
If not, (and that seems to be the case), who’s responsible?
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” The workers voted down a contract that did not benefit them ”
What a load of CRAP! They voted down a contract that didnt give them EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED. Only INFANTS expect to get EVERYTHING they want! That contract included PAY INCREASES…not CUTS. Waaaaa….we would have to pay a little more for our insurance….waaaa.
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Why is John Riskey smiling in the photo? He is still working and he is still getting paid. Who is paying him? The workers who voted down the contract. Who could be smiling today besides John Riskey? The former ACSC workers if they would have signed the contract.
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I find the photo interesting. On one end a worker is hiding their face with a flyer. On the other end Mr Riskey is smiling like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
The word greed is being used improperly by the union. We are all greedy. We all want more than we have. The union is using this word in an attempt to insult and shame the growers. There is no shame in wanting your company to succeed.
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Regarding the question posed in the article title, simply from the likes and dislikes on these comments, one would have to say that the answer is a resounding “NO”!
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Maybe that was their intention, maybe it wasn’t, I don’t know. What I do know is that if I own the company, I am the boss. I decide what to pay and what benefits my employees receive! I will not allow you, as an employee, to dictate what I pay you. If you don’t like what I am offering, go work someplace else! Simple as that.
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Herpes: I disagree that ACS wanted to break the union. I am fully in support of the assertion they wanted to change it.
As has been established over and over, healthcare premiums are a red herring. If it was only that people would have went back to work on the second vote.
This is about seniority, job assignments, and non union members filling new job classifications. If the union gave up these you would be to work tomorrow.
Why won’t the union cave on these issues: seniority is the backbone of the union structure. Without it the union loses much of its day to day power on the shop floor.
There is still lots of room for union involvement in a shop not controlled by seniority. It would become what it should have been all along. An advocate for pay, bennies, and a watchdog during disciplinary proceedings.
Unfortunately the union chose to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
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We discussed this way back when this whole sad saga began. Wages (and that includes bennies) are not determined by your personal worth, but by what the market will bear. ACS won because people were/are willing to work for what is being offered.
Think back to the early days of the oil boom. There were reports in the paper of McD paying $12-$15 an hour for burger flippers.
They were not offering those wages because they cared more about their people than the McD in GF; they paid more because they had to. As the boom evens out over the next few years you will see those numbers trending down. Again, it has nothing to do with the value of the employees as people, just that they will be able to get people to do the same job for less.
As an RN I started at $10.50 an hour in 1986. I earn a little over $25 now (pay in ND sucks). If I wanted to work in Oakland, CA (ghetto) I could earn $45 + differentials up the wazoo. We are talking $55 an hour for a weekend night shift.
The employers don’t pay me that much because they like me or think I add value to their service; they pay me that much because if they didn’t they couldn’t keep their doors open.
It is not moral, it’s economics. If there suddenly becomes a glut of RN or a new technology is developed that makes me obsolete, I’ll be on the trash heap before my final check clears.
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pssst…not Oakland. The Raiders suck this year (2-4).
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I grew up in Denver. If I EVER rooted for the Oakland Raiders or Dallas Cowboys my DNA would simply explode ***poof*** no more FlyingNurse. There are some laws of nature you do not trifle with.
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They aren’t going to get hired back! It’s over. I wonder how many years they’ll picket wait for the fat lady to sing?
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How long did the meat packing strike in Austin, MN last?
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The Hormel strike happened when the country was in a recession (1985). It begin when the company wanted to lower wages due to the economy. After six months the union’s national leaders ordered the workers to return to work. Many union workers went back but some refused. This is when the riots broke out. Their local was placed in receivership and taken over by the national union, which never supported the strike. It finally ended after ten months. The company hired new workers at lower wages, mostly hispanics.
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The ACS workers putting their employment future in the hands of union “leaders” is like putting life savings in the hands of Bernie Madoff.
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As a strong supporter of the local farmers I intentionally went in and bought a bag of Crystal Sugar. I proudly displayed the bag as I drove out of the parking lot. I didn’t say anything, just held up the bag. I was disappointed to see that I was given the signal that I was “#1″ if you know what I mean. Besides the hand gesture there was at least on profanity remark made in my direction.
I support the 2800 shareholders that are standing up for good economic business decisions. It is the 1300 locked out workers who need to understand they don’t own the company.
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ACS and the growers realized in the past that they were in a very “dangerous” situation, with the Union workers having them over a barrel if they had ever decided to strike at the wrong time, i.e. during harvest, etc. ACS presently has the upper hand and this was their opportunity to get themselves out of a situation where the Union had the power to force ACS into anything. ACS and the growers have paid the extra expense to get through this situation, and there is no reason to go back now. If anything, ACS should keep whittling away at the offer as time passes. The locked out workers have no one to blame but the union for this mess. As Kenny Rogers sang, “You have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them…”. The union leaders picked the wrong time to try to play hardball. And while it’s sad that some union members had blind faith in their leaders, there are a lot of hard working people that are now making a decent wage and are helping our local economy. I sat next to a passenger on a flight recently, flying back to Ohio for the weekend to see his family. Obviously the pay at ACS is good enough for him, that he’s willing to spend his weeks thousands of miles from his wife and kids in order to provide for his family. That says it all.
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I have four words to say to the ACS workers. Go look for work. Like DakotaDocMartin said, it’s over.
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It is really sad to see the children used as pawns in the youtube video and the latest stunt pulled by the union. The company has been as upfront with the union and its members as it can. It has made all documents avaliable for review and has shown the concessions made since the negotiating took place before the lockout started. It is not the companies fault that the union opted not to participate in these negotiations nor is the bad advice given by union leaders prior to votes.
What the union needs to realize is that there is still a job for them, after all the badmouthing and attempts to destroy the company, labor laws are on thier side and allow them to return to work after a contract is signed. Do the smart thing, sign the contract and get your pay increases along with your benefits back which include very reasonable health insurance rates. Use the union protection as F/N describes above and get your kids back to thier extra-curricular activites.
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The reason Berg has not been fired is the growers were informed of this beforehand & behind it 100%. A move this radical could not have been contemplated without their consent.
If the workers (what is left of them) are smart, they will vote to decertify, get their jobs back as permanent employees, & reorganize under a different union.
There is too much water under the bridge. I’m not sure returning to work & keeping the same union is a viable alternative.
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“If the workers (what is left of them) are smart, they will vote to decertify, get their jobs back as permanent employees, & reorganize under a different union.”
Who will lead this group of rouge union members? There isn’t anyone left in the union capable of this challenge. Would someone like to volunteer? Can I see a show of hands?
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It appears to me there was no one in the current union capable of leading it either.
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That’s what i’ve said from the beginning, and it’s why every time I mention “leaders” or “leadership” I put the word in quotes.
The good thing, (in my opinion), about the way these events have unfolded, is that it’s been a big ol’ reality check for organized labor in general….and the “leadership” in particular.
The biggest reason they’ve tripped all over themselves, is because they came into this unprepared. They were unprepared, because of the mindset they have….”the company HAS TO do what we want them to do”. Back when the story broke that the lock-out was likely going to occur, everyone I talked to wondered what/where the union thought their leverage was.
When the lock-out did occur, there were posts aplenty from workers declaring “We’ll be back to work in less than a week”. Then it was a month, then it was by Thanksgiving….then before Christmas, etc. Nothing had changed….we still didn’t see where they felt their leverage was.
All the while, people like me have been called things like “union hater”. I don’t “hate” unions, but I will admit to taking some satisfaction in observing a union’s reaction when their eyes get opened a bit. And that’s mainly because the reality they’ve just awakened to is something everyone else is very familiar with.
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Well said Scott. I have said all along that trying a labor action in this economy was extremely foolish/borderline negligent. They would have been better of to sign the contract and come back in another 5 years when the economy is stronger (if people are working there is no way they [ACS] could afford to import enough replacements to make it through the first year).
People’s biggest mistake is to view this as a moral issue. While there are certainly moral components, in the end it is economics; and a war of attrition.
Why did the Viet Cong and the Taliban win? They were patient. They said “you will eventually leave.” They were correct.
Too bad the union did not learn their lesson. The economy is cyclical. The table will eventually turn in the union’s favor. It always does.
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Despite letters-to-the-editor that claim differently, I believe the Farmers/Growers are completely in favor of breaking the Union. They could change Company management by voting the Board of Directors out of office…and they have NOT. The growers are hiding behind the skirts of Berg and the Board. They don’t have the guts to face the public with their true beliefs.
I do not believe that ACS is trying to break the union. Why would they offer a large raise and excellent benefits to a union that they were trying to break?
A union will vote “no” if they think that they are in a position of real power. In this instance, they were wrong.
The vast majority of farmers/growers are not in favor of breaking the union. Most understand the benefits of collective bargaining. Most were rooting for the NFL referees union to get a good deal from the NFL owners. The growers are not hiding behind any skirts. Rather, they understand that they have elected and hired leaders to negotiate contracts on their behalf and the growers are letting these leaders do the job that they were elected/hired to do.
The growers also understand that they are part of a sugar producing cooperative that is the best in the country in every category except for labor. If you were the industry leader in every category except for labor, wouldn’t you try your best to improve the labor contract?
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Shurkey…..lets just say that you are correct that the company wants to “break” the union. Why wouldn’t they? Maybe it is time to be done with the “tail wagging the dog”. Can you give me one example why a union employee is so much better than a non-union employee? Please don’t say experience, because most employees that do not have a specific trade skill, are trained “on the job” and the replacement workers are already trained. The trade skilled employees probably have already found other jobs. Probably for a lesser benefit package but are working.
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Let’s be fair here. The union leadership has the local media on speed dial. They call the media whenever they are planning something.
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You wouldn’t feel the same way if these posts and/or “new developments” were more supportive of the union….and you know it. I’ve lost count, but I think this is about the fifth or sixth time you’ve posted in a new thread about how old/tired/played out the whole issue is.
If you REALLY feel that way, why keep reading the stories and subsequently posting in the threads? It’s like you tune in once twenty or thirty “non-union-friendly” posts have been made and then comment on how pointless all of this is.
Why?
And fwiw, the Herald DIDN’T trot their kids out for the camera. The fact that the union DID….is a story that’s worth reporting. I know you don’t think so, but that’s because, like I said before….it paints the union in a less-than-favorable light. If the union actually did something productive and enlightening and the Herald DIDN’T report it, you’d be wondering why.
It’s okay….you can admit it.
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…that was for tundrabeast, by the way. Not devilschild.
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You’re looking under the wrong rock for an argument on this one. My point has always been that this and the Sioux name game has been kept alive by the Herald time and again by looking for every straw they can find. Yes I get in and mix it up once in a while….But that’s usually only when the board has few other topics worth commenting on (In my opinion). Hell…I’m suirprised this is still on here. I haven’t checked it in almost a week
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I’m definately not counting (Or often even reading) posts to see how many are negative towards the union because the majority generally are anyway. Hell…Some people get intimidated by back lashes and “Dislikes” so in generaly you see fewer and fewer pro posts over time anyway. Those of us who don’t let that bother us basically have said the same things enough times that what more is there to say? Seriously..What?
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“The union members were on the bad end of a raw deal.”
No one argues that, but as discussed above, although raw, it was the best deal going. No one said life is fair. Lord knows my wages have been stagnant for years. That does not mean I stop working.
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“They would have gained nothing by signing that contract that was offered.”
Perhaps they wouldn’t have gained anything, but did they have to lose so much?
“If it wasn’t for strom the company would have failed last year.”
That’s exactly what the union was hoping for and it would have given them tremendous leverage. Hell, they probably could have asked for solid gold coffee cups if Strom had dropped the ball. That gamble did not pay off. No amount of boycotts, demonstrations, little kids on youtube is going to replace that lost opportunity.
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Moving on to 8$ or 9$ per hour job at the walmart meat counter with no health care is a far cry from 15$and 20$ an hour and full family coverage health care for 75$ per month at crystal. If they have moved on why do they have their kids complaining about the lack of money in the videos. Most of the changes that are in the contract appear to only effect new hires NOT the long term employees that are standing out on the “information line”. So where is the sense of it? The union leaders are the ones losing power, not the individual worker in the factory. And all the rank and file are taking one in the shorts to keep Trumka and his like making the big bucks. As for your local union leaders they still collect a paycheck so drink up boys all the koolaid you want is on the house courtesy of BCTGM!
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“Management knew the union would refuse the offer”
Too simple…requires explanation.
How’s this:
Management was well-aware the one of the most common characteristics of unions is that they lack objectivity. Objectivity allows, (some would say “pushes”), rational people towards making rational decisions.
So if you want to say management “knew” anything, be fair about WHAT it was they “knew” they could count on from the union: Poor planning….poor decision making….poor communication….poor reaction to developments along the way….etc.
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ron…since according to you “they are much better off now” why is this even still an issue? The union employees found better work elsewhere, so everyone should be happy! What is your opinion of the locked out workers that have not found happiness yet, and accepted jobs elsewhere?
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What did they lose?
Well here are a few things I can think of:
• Money, most of the workers who have moved on are not making what they did and will never recover what they have lost. Also when you look at what is missing from retirement accounts due to loans taken out just before the lockout, lost input to retirement accounts, and a lack of pension time accrual, a lot of people will need to change any ideas they have about a comfortable retirement.
• Respect, After all the antics of hanging monkey, whining, giant inflatable rat, drunk dialing, whining, racial slurs at replacement workers, giving the management people working at each factory a bad time as they go to their jobs, putting kids on you tube, whining, crying on the street on how bad they have it when the rest of the world just gets the job done, and the whining, just shows that there is no honor in the unions behavior. Did I mention the whining?
• Credibility, false claims about the contract or the work done by the replacement workers, and all the ignorant claims sent into opinion columns just to keep the “cause” alive has had just the opposite effect (journey for justice? Get real), the union has just “cried wolf” too many times. The union rank and file act like sheep but do not see that their union “leaders” are the only ones who line them up to be sheared not ACSC.
• Objectivity, being unable to look at this problem without emotion and sort out your options so you see the fact that the final offer is the final offer and it is not going to change no matter what hair brained new idea the union “leaders” come up with.
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What the union needs to realize is that the fat lady has sung. It’s over.
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Wow scott, I agree with you for once. This is a news worthy story and not the herald fishing for a story.
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Replace the word demands with changes. I’ve read all there is to read about this subject in the past couple of months. Changes were made from the previous contract. The company didn’t slam a gavel down and demand anything. The union doesn’t like the changes that were made. Now let’s move on.
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ron….are you saying that it is wrong for the employer to decide what is best for the company? Are you thinking that the union employees have a much better “vision” for the future of the company than management?
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ron…is it your opinion that every company should just cave into union demands? At your job do you tell your employer your demands for compensation, or do you expect to be compensated for your ability to do your job?
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Ron,
Would you make the same argument if the situation was different? If the union had gone on strike and the strike had lasted 14 months, would you say that it is wrong and that there ” had to be a better solution than the path that was chosen by” union management?
The end result for the workers would be the same. 14 months without pay. The children of the workers would have had the same experience.
So if lockouts can never be acceptable, then neither can strikes. However, if you imagine that there are scenarios where a strike is justified, then there must also be scenarios where a lockout is justified.
If you think that lockouts can NEVER be justified, then we probably should just end this conversation because our basic framework for discussion is so different.
I tend to believe the whispers and insinuations that, during the last negotiations, the union workers engaged in work slowdowns and threatened to stop work after all the beets were piled. This put a significant percentage of that crop at risk. I remember how the company caved in during the last negotiations and now believe it was because the union held them over a barrel, threatening to not process all the beets that were piled. I believe it would have been foolish for the company to go into the 2011 negotiations and allow the union to work and give them the leverage of letting a crop spoil in the pile.
To put it clearly, I believe the union started this with their actions in the mid 2000s. They went “all in” last time and threatened to destroy the company if they didn’t get their way. ACSC made it clear LONG before the last contract that they would allow the union that leverage again. That is what this lockout is about and that is why it was necessary.
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“So far, all I see as the strongest argument against the union is that they are a union”
And the flip-side of that sentiment is…..what? The only arguments I ever see for unions, is that, well….they’re unions. And that in and of itself is supposed to mean something, and everyone should automatically get on board with agreeing the special treatment is “fair”.
I’ve asked this before, perhaps you’d like to take a stab at it. If a “non-union shop” makes the decision to organize and they vote to do so, are the employees suddenly more skilled/experienced/dedicated/valuable/irreplaceable than they were the day before?
What if the opposite occurs? If a “union shop” votes to de-certify, are THOSE workers suddenly less experienced/less valuable/less skilled/etc. than they were the day before? Is it “fair” to lump them into the group organized labor has decided deserves less? (And if you’d like to dispute the last question and say organized labor DOESN’T think people that aren’t represented by a contract do actually deserve less, then ask a labor leader to explain how the numbers would work if everyone was “in on the action”…..because the numbers wouldn’t work. They couldn’t work. While they won’t come right out and SAY it, they do KNOW it. It’s perfectly fine to expect more, think they deserve more, and expect someone else to help pick up the tab.)
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I must say that Mike happens to be one of the best around these parts of being able to analyze issues objectively. Even, and maybe especially, when it comes to issues that I don’t share the same viewpoint as Mike does.
What you are failing to recognize is that both ACS and the union were free to make the decisions that they have made and endure the consequences of those decisions. It just so happens that is has worked out better for ACS than the union. The union seems very displeased with the consequences of their own actions.
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The truth is sad in this case. I spoke with tj this morning. She said Mike was correct and the union knew there were going to be changes this time around. Yet the company offered raises with those changes. How many companies have had their wages frozen or cut? My main residence is in Michigan. The auto workers took pay cuts to keep their jobs. Get real here.
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I think the fact that you *artfully* dodge questions when answering them would reveal either that you haven’t taken the time to understand the issue, or….that the position you’ve taken thus far in the discussion is lacking in its logic or credibility “is just sad”.
Mike asked a logical and extremely relevant question. Either explain what about his question or position is incorrect, (in your opinion anyway), or answer his question.
Replying but saying nothing, (like you did in the 8:57 post), is quite revealing….
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In the publics eye, Ron?!! You are kidding right? The union has managed to look about as bad as it possibly can in the publics eye since this started. Problems on the pickett line which resulted in criminal charges, littering our grocery stores with flyers, threats to take down the sugar program………… and now using children as leverage. I would say the public eye is about the last thing that would stop them from striking. To date, I have yet to see any documentation which shows a proposal from the union. ACS has their offers online for review to all, I have not seen a single document from the union showing any type of negotiation. Please, correct me if I am wrong and post a link to where an offer from the union may be found.
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” A labor action is always a sad state of affairs for both parties involved.”
So what IN THIS SITUATION led to the labor action? No dancing around….just answer.
“There was nothing in the final offer that could not have been negotiated on”
Whatever you say Ron. The company prepared a final offer, because the union was doing NO negotiating. I’ve asked you before what YOU would have done if YOU showed up to negotiate a deal with someone and THEY showed up just to say “nope…try again”. You “answered” the question without “answering” the question. When I say you artfully dodge issues you don’t have an answer for, it isn’t an insult…it’s fact.
“The union could strike mid campaign but how would that look in the publics eye”
If you think the union takes seriously how they’d look “in the public eye” if they chose to strike, you’re about 2X as naive as I originally thought. Either that, or this is the first management/labor issue that’s ever been on your radar.
“the lockout was american crystals power trip and shows the true colors of it’s leadership”
Keep telling yourself that, and by all means ignore the timeline and chain of events that led to the lockout. Forget all about events that occurred in the past that influenced the company’s determination to be READY this time. And while you’re at it, sweep under the rug the union leadership’s LACK of preparedness which was the DIRECT RESULT of the way they’re USED TO events unfolding in situations like this.
Why do you suppose one side here was prepared, and the other wasn’t Ron? What is it about one side’s position that has allowed that side to stay the course? What about the other side? What’s the biggest factor contributing to the changing of some minds and softening on positions there?
If this whole thing could be done over, and both sides knew going in what they know now, what do you think each side would do differently….and why?
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