GM Workers on Strike

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Well, that's a tough question, as I've been on both sides of the issue.

In many cases, companies buy other companies and essentially inherit their unions and sometimes union issues/culture, (been there). Other times, an unhappy work force 'organizes' themselves and actually starts a union where one did not exist, (been there). In my earlier example, management could have proceeded to 'break' the union and only hire non-union workers (most jobs are unskilled). However, sometimes the wiser thing to do is to continue to peacefully coexist with the existing union - management can sometimes get a different (ie; worse) union organized against them.

In a strike situation, there is always plenty of blame to go around. A wise (old) worker once told me that "companies with the worst union relationships - usually deserve them." That statement can speak volumes about effective management.

I'm not pro-union by any stretch, (not completely anti-union either), but having worked at several companies with union workforces - I can see how GM got themselves into this mess.