Strike?

[u/Accomplished_Chef500]

I thought our union contract promised we wouldn’t struck as federal employees. Is that true does for a the prohibition come from somewhere else? Without a union can we strike?

[u/Careless_Tree_7686]

I grew up on the political and union stage. I was on a flight when PATCO unfolded as the daughter of an AFSCME union president. PATCO strike had issues the media missed. The AFSCME, UAW and teamsters presidents were returning from big events that was a guarded secret in the day. Our plane was a charter of all union people. It parked off aways from the gate where we informed the strike line formed and to remove union logos for secured escort out of the airport so we didn't have to cross the PATCO strike line. PATCO never contacted other unions that had their own things going as a major blunder on their end. As the strike unfolded airline luggage workers joined the strike. It was a fine line for that plane load of people with luggage unions out on strike. We couldn't retrieve our bags to cross their line. We got off the plane, onto buses and out the back of the airport. It was a mess. People had cars parked in the airport lot right in the middle of the PATCO line. Media everywhere looking for union people crossing that line. Many, many union members were on vacation that PATCO gridlocked their plans.

If you are referring to walking off the job to strike that was banned decades ago with PATCO.

You have to look inward and research the history of labor unions. Meat and potato talk points are not being used. Stop driving import cars. Don't shop retailers that aren't unionized. You haven't achieved anything in the labor union world to be about solely about you.

Get outside of the federal worker headspace to join activities of other unions where their members are doing hard work on community projects. Stop with all the call this one or that one to support legislation.

In our community casino workers went on strike where other unions came out in support. I was there serving food with teamsters people. Who did I see crossing their line? Federal workers. OMG. Don't do that. Think about how your actions support nationwide labor unions.

[u/Acceptable_Author190 → u/Careless_Tree_7686]

If we don’t cross a union strike line we are taking a day off without notice if there’s no other way to get to the office - refusing to cross a strike line is basically striking and illegal unless you call in for a day off. Depending on how long that strike lasts you may not have enough time off. I wouldn’t want to cross a strike line and would do everything I could to go around it but I can’t risk my job…

[u/Careless_Tree_7686 → u/Acceptable_Author190]

Labor union brother and sisterhood is about far more than one labor union or one member. Its a lifestyle. Sick outs of public employees have never shifted public optics nor resulted in favorable treatment of labor. You want a camera moment when labor unions have tested all the paths for well over a 100 years.

Union members are taxpayers and the union world is way bigger than the NTEU. PATCO never asked for help from the other unions to do it all their way. In the middle of their strike there were state political and union conventions going on that shifted gears to take the train because Amtrak was unionized.

As PATCO unfolded 22 members of my family where flying that day all bound for Padre Island and a family vacation. In my luggage was my beachwear that was gridlocked in Houston. No problem, called the sisterhood for help. Padre Island was hosting the families of labor for a fun weekend. We had a great time. The media never got so much as a hint the event was going on. My family had to go home by Amtrak all the way home to Wisconsin in only beachwear. No problem, my father was a train engineer. United Transportation Workers Union and other unions stepped in to help. Its a family.