[onewhippedpuppy]

I like the union = superior analogy. The aircraft company I work for is in union negotiations right now, in less than two weeks their contract is up. The behavior of the labor guys is amazing to me. For the last several months they've all been wearing shirts proclaiming their "Strength to Strike". In the last few weeks, break times in the plant have consisted of whistles, airhorns, and yelling. The purpose of this, I'm not so sure. All I know is if I chose to act like an immature child at my job, I'd be fired within hours. Yet in their logic, this should yield them better pay and benefits.

It's funny, because I spent years doing blue collar work before going back to college. If I didn't like a job or company, I quit and found another job. These are people with no formal education, mostly unskilled, getting paid very well with benefits to drive rivets. If they're so valuable and unhappy, find a new job! In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how I'll get to work if they strike. Last time there were numerous accounts of vandalism to cars in the parking lot.

In an amusing sidebar, last year another local aircraft company went on strike, and the salary employees were put on the floor doing assembly. In station productivity improved something like 40% with untrained managers and engineers doing the work. Horray for unions!