Union people, please explain the difference between a lockout & a strike.

[Clete]

I went on strike when I worked for Ma Bell, back in the Jurassic Period when we still did long distance at a cord switchboard. Those of us who came to work before the strike started were told to finish our shifts, but not to come back until our union Rep. told us to. Anyone who didn't want to strike, even union members, could still go to work if they dared.

So I am talking to my friendly neighborhood grocery checker at Ralph's this week. I saw the union button on her shirt, so I asked her if they were going to strike. She said that if they voted to reject the market's offer there would be a LOCKOUT as of midnight Friday (yesterday). I didn't have time to ask her what that meant because she was finished with me.

So I'm wondering. Do the workers go to work anyway and do the managers turn them away? How does this work?

[jiacinto]

1. A lockout

I think that involves the owners shutting down the business. I really don't know.

[brook]

2. A lockout...

is a tool the company uses. They lock out the union members until they're hungry enough to agree to the company's terms. Every Ralph's, Von's and Albertsons have had "Now hiring" signs up for a couple of weeks.

[Esco01]

3. Lockouts are...

Lockouts are when management refuses to allow workers to enter company property, usually due to a contract dispute. This action is normally followed by the hiring of replacement or "scab" workers.
That's what I figure them to be anyways...

[newyawker99]

5. Hi Esco01!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[realFedUp]

6. Welcome to DU Esco01

:hi:

[billfromwny]

4. Lockouts work well for management,

since most people DON'T know the difference between a strike and a lockout; they immediately blame the workers for not being at work. Strikes almost never happen anymore because of the stacked deck against unions...there are a lot more effective ways of getting a point across...work to rule, targeted advertising against companies, etc.

[Clete]

7. Thanks everyone.

So I take it that it's a move by management not the union. That's what I wanted to know.

[Jazzgirl]

8. Yes...

A lockout is when the company won't let the employees back in and hires new people in their place. Definitely a union-busting tactic!

Jazzgirl

[alcuno]

10. Rejecting the offer is NOT voting to strike.

If the membership rejects the offer, they still have to vote to strike. Union workers work without contracts all the time when there is still hope of resolution. A lockout is a management tactic to force the membership to accept an offer.

[doc03]

9. Lockout /Strike

In 1985 my employer filed Chapter 11 and the judge allowed the company
to void our contract. The company gave us a contract with major concessions. Our union offered to continue working under our old
contract and the company refused, so we stopped working. Anyway after several months of court battles we won and the (work stoppage) was
declared a lockout. We were were out for 105 days and recieved
unempolyment for the whole period.

[doc03]

11. Lockout /Strike

The company also had to pay us (SUB) suplimental unempolyment benifits for that period. Our contract stated that whenever we received unemployment we were also entitled to (SUB).

[claude raines]

12. The other question is?

What's the difference between "closed shop" and "union shop?"

Please don't cross picket lines whether there's a lockout or a strike.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Closed shop and union shop

In a closed shop, the employer is obligated under his collective bargaining agreement to hire only members of a particular labor union. This practice was made illegal by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.

In a union shop, the employer may hire outside the union, but the new employee must join the union for a certain length of time as a condition of employment. This practice is not prohibited by federal law, but is illegal in many states. Legislation that make union shops illegal is called a right-to-work law.

[mermaid]

16. Right-to-Work My Left Clavicle!!

I live in a so-called "right to work" state, Texas...and let me tell you that is the biggest misnomer there ever was. It's really a right to be fired state...a state in which employers have all the power and FUCK the poor worker!!

I swear the employers buy off our politicians in order to continue to be allowed to fuck over workers like they do!!

[Clete]

17. Yes, they do fuck over workers, mermaid.

The employers do buy off politicians, but I think it is getting worse than ordinary graft. The politicians, who are bought off, seem to know they will be put in power as a done deal

[doc03]

19. Right to Work for Less

In the 70's and 80's northern union jobs fled to the Right to Work states in the south. Now with with NAFTA the non-union workers in the south aren't good enough. The jobs down south are moving to Mexico
for lower wages yet. I read recently that, I believe it was 300,000
jobs have moved to China for even less. In a couple years we
will be flooded with produces from Iraq. Greed!!!!!!

[Jack Rabbit]

22. That's right

At least, that's how it works out.

Unions need to become stronger or we'll all be making minimum wage -- until the minimum wage is abolished, that is.

[leesa]

13. Lockouts are when the management prevents workers who want to work

from working due to disputes. Then the mainstream media sells them to the public as worker strikes to keep the anti-union hysteria alive. This is what they did with the Longshoremen's lockout. EVERY mediawhore described it as those rotten people striking ...and they already make so much money...and unions are evil...The reality was a lock-out by management who refused to listen to their demands.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. Nowadays, it gets confusing

A strike is when the workers refuse to come to work until the company agrees to their terms.
A lockout is when the company refuses to allow the workers to come to work until they agree to management's terms.

There are two examples where the terms got confused. One was the baseball players' strike a few years ago. I should have been a short strike. However, in a desrie to break the union, a small cabal of owners led by Jerry Reinsdorf of the Chicago White Sox dodged settling. Consequently, what started as a strike became a lock out. A federal court ruled the owners' action unfair, the strike was settled and the players returned to the field. In the menatime, the World Series was cancelled that year.

In Venezuela last year, the managers of the state-run oil company, men who make six-figured salaries in a country where most people are impoverished, decided that what the country needed to overthrow its popular and populist President was a general strike. So the managers shut down the oil industry and called it a general strike. It was really a lock out. Thankfully, their tactics failed.

[rasputin1952]

18. Since Lockouts and Strikes have been pretty well explained..

as an old Union man myself, I would ask that anyone who believes in fairness and equity, please do not cross a picket line for either one.
Management will only settle a dispute under some very realistic situations.

It is imperative that either they begin to feel a finacial pinch, or they receive such negative coverage that they feel compelled to take the workers back and settle the dispute.

Unions have been beaten up over the past few decades, and for some ridiculous reason, they are often seen as 'commies'. If it were not for those who spent incredible amounts of time, enregy and occasionally death at the hands of business interests, we would not have 40 hour work weeks, a minimum wage, employer sponsored health care, OSHA, the EPA, and many other items we take for granted, (like vacation and the dissolution of sweatshops). In fact, Unions were instrumental in getting suffrage for women and voters the right to vote at age 18.

Please don't get me wrong, there are some corrupt people in Unions, but the reality is, Unions have helped us far too much to be ignored or broken up.


:kick:

[knight_of_the_star]

20. Please do

As a union worker, I woudl like to say, PLEASE DON'T cross the picket lines in the SoCal Grocery strike. And yes, if there is no compromise reached by 12:00 am tonight PST, then we will strike. There has already been a vote of rejection and the unions are ready to strike. We also have a LOT of popular support this time, people support our strike which will be VERY helpful for winning it. Almost everyone I've talked to supports our strike. Gotta love California! I just hope that Arnie doesn't bumble into the middle of things on this!

[rasputin1952]

25. Hang in there ...

My thoughts are with you, and I hope that people will honor the picket line and stay away.

:pals: in the Union movement

[revcarol]

27. All Dems!! Please walk with the workers on the picket lines!!

And have a sign saying you support them.

And contribute to their fund...groceries, money, buying something someone needs...contact the union and ask what you can do to help.

If DK were there, he would be right beside you!!

Let's think of good slogans for signs!!

mine: "ORDINARY CONSUMER FOR WORKERS"

[Clete]

21. Shameless kick.

The workers are out now, but it is being announced as a strike. Post here and tell the truth.

[tishaLA]

23. at Von's it's a strike

but my understanding is that they have locked out the workers at Ralph's and Pavillion's.

Really, the management is just grotesque about this. People who work in supermarkets make very little money anyhow and the companies, following the Wal-Mart model, want to cut the health coverage by 50%.

Apparently the teamsters who drive trucks for the supermarkets are planning to honor the strike too. Good for them.

[rasputin1952]

26. If the Teamsters honor the pickets...

as well they should, this will be a very short lockout/strike.

My thoughts are with you all, keep the line strong!

:pals: for the UNION movement!

[BlueCollar]

24. a strike

is initiated by the Union...
a lock-out is initiated by management

on strike...means we don't work

a lockout means we aren't allowed to enter the property to work...

Proud Union Member here...

M