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Hunter, I just... don't... think you understand. If there's a collective bargaining agreement, you've got to no other places. More generally, scabs busting through picket lines have created some of the more bloody battles labor unions have ever fought. The mine workers in America fought bitter battles regarding union rights, and though the UMWA's size was ultimately *very* limited due to the successful efforts of the business owners, President T. Roosevelt had to go to great pains to stop the bloodshed.
Besides, what if it's skilled labor and there is nowhere else to get it? The seamstress union buttoned down (punny, no?) the business so tight in the USA that there was no alternative labor force - and the industry simply left the country.
Finally, that sort of thinking causes bodies to turn up afloat in the Chicago River in this town. And I am not kidding.
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I should really write more on this, but time is short. I will say that I heard a construction contractor discussing it on an airline flight to Miami I was on. He did construction in both places. In Miami, it's very straightforward: hey, I need a carpenter, you know one? In Chicago, if you're not using a union carpenter, the carpenter's union will show up and "interview" you regarding why. Same for the bricklayers union, plumber's union, concrete pourers union, etc. ad nauseum. And, the general contractor very quickly gets the not-so-subtle message that if he's going to stiff them all, he might want to invest in security for his property(ies). I'll add more as I have more time.
[ 11-11-2002, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]
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