Why are Unions strike-happy?
Unions negotiate for agreements – not strikes. No union wants a strike. Strikes develop when both sides can in no other way reach an agreement. To union members, a strike means sacrifice to themselves and their families. Workers won’t go on strike unless the issues involved are so great they are worth the sacrifice. Unions conduct membership votes before taking strike action and a strike occurs only after the approval of a clear majority of workers. Most unions measure their success by the elect to which they can avoid strikes, and they do manage to settle 97 percent of contract negotiations without a strike. Despite that record, strikes are controversial and controversy makes news. This, no doubt, is why many people think strikes are the rule rather than the exception. There’s no question that strikes sometimes hurt or inconvenience innocent people. But so does almost every form of economic activity. When prices go up, that hurts. When profits are taken out of the country and invested
