Ansett pilots did that early this century in NZ: <Today's the day where we'll see if Boeing's Machinist Union idiots vote themselves out a of job. Boeing has put up with their never ending strikes and walkout threats for far too long. With a "no" vote on the contract, they can watch the golden goose fly away to a warmer climate, as they line up for unemployment.> It was obvious they were over-reaching and indeed, the company went bust and they were all out of a job. My brother in law was a pilot for them and he refused to go along with the strike. The union goons would threaten him by parking at the end of his drive-way, walking alongside him as he walked through the airport building.
I don't know about the Boeing situation, but in general, unions seem to be low on good sense.
"They took our jobs" shows a misunderstanding of the global economy. Jobs are not owned by employees, even if the local laws say they are. Jobs are provided by customers. There is no reason why a Boeing machinist in Seattle should get any more money than a machinist in Bangalore, or Shanghai, or Jakarta. Well, there is, in that the USA could sensibly charge tariffs on imported products because India uses slaves to work in factories, or China pollutes the air which blows over the USA, or Indonesia is a Jihad land which intends to attack the USA or allies. But those tariff issues are separate from pay negotiations. They could persuade Boeing to pay more for Seattle employees than pay the tariff on low cost employees in Shanghai.
Free trade is fine, providing the other country is not loading problems onto other countries or doing evil things in their own country such as using slave labour kept prisoner in gulags. Such as in North Korea.
Mqurice |
