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For those with no understanding of strikes
May. 2nd, 2006 12:24 pmOkay. Must rant now.
I am not exactly a union child, not for generations back or anything. But I was raised in a union household, in southern Michigan. It sticks.
And teachers' unions striking is a major problem for students. Just like a city transportation strike is a major problem for anyone who doesn't own their own car. Just like a materials transport strike is a major problem for anyone who needed the things being delivered.
THAT'S THE POINT.
A strike is not supposed to be some kind of empty, symbolic gesture, it's supposed to be an ACTION. If no one was inconvenienced by labor being witheld, a) there would be no leverage and b) the labor probably really wouldn't be worth all that much money. The fact that a whole shitload of people are wildly inconvenienced is the pressure point to lean on when the reps come to the table and say "Pay us what our work is worth".
And yeah, it totally sucks to be someone on the reciever's end. And yeah, it isn't really fair that the students, and office workers, and urban poor are the ones who get "inconvenienced" a hell of a lot harder than the fucking management in these cases. That sucks big, hairy goat balls.
Which means that the students etc. should STOP BLAMING THE STRIKERS FOR WANTING A LIVING WAGE and instead PUT PRESSURE ON THE ADMINISTRATION.
Put the blame where it damn well belongs. Yes, students should not be penalized because of a labor dispute. So go tell that to the people who make the policies! Refuse to pay for time when classes are not happening. If all the students did that, you damn bet the administration would bargain and bargain fast. That is what collective action is about.
The fact that none of this ever seems to occur to anyone who wasn't raised with it, that they all seem to think it's Not Their Problem, that they undermine the people they should be supporting...
... makes me dearly wish to see the little whiners living on a schoolteacher's or bus driver's salary for a few years, and see how they like it.
I am not exactly a union child, not for generations back or anything. But I was raised in a union household, in southern Michigan. It sticks.
And teachers' unions striking is a major problem for students. Just like a city transportation strike is a major problem for anyone who doesn't own their own car. Just like a materials transport strike is a major problem for anyone who needed the things being delivered.
THAT'S THE POINT.
A strike is not supposed to be some kind of empty, symbolic gesture, it's supposed to be an ACTION. If no one was inconvenienced by labor being witheld, a) there would be no leverage and b) the labor probably really wouldn't be worth all that much money. The fact that a whole shitload of people are wildly inconvenienced is the pressure point to lean on when the reps come to the table and say "Pay us what our work is worth".
And yeah, it totally sucks to be someone on the reciever's end. And yeah, it isn't really fair that the students, and office workers, and urban poor are the ones who get "inconvenienced" a hell of a lot harder than the fucking management in these cases. That sucks big, hairy goat balls.
Which means that the students etc. should STOP BLAMING THE STRIKERS FOR WANTING A LIVING WAGE and instead PUT PRESSURE ON THE ADMINISTRATION.
Put the blame where it damn well belongs. Yes, students should not be penalized because of a labor dispute. So go tell that to the people who make the policies! Refuse to pay for time when classes are not happening. If all the students did that, you damn bet the administration would bargain and bargain fast. That is what collective action is about.
The fact that none of this ever seems to occur to anyone who wasn't raised with it, that they all seem to think it's Not Their Problem, that they undermine the people they should be supporting...
... makes me dearly wish to see the little whiners living on a schoolteacher's or bus driver's salary for a few years, and see how they like it.
