In my twenty five years, I do not remember a time when I have been so ill prepared and vulnerable to a strike.

I've always kind of thought that it must be a very different financial mindset to work at a plant with a union that is often having to strike to get a decent contract, like auto workers. I certainly don't have three (or six) months worth of salary saved up "for a rainy day" but I would think that would constantly be a worry in the back of my mind if I were to work at a job where the employers are such assholes that they force strikes as a bargaining strategy. And I know for myself that I'm often having some "emergency" or other unexpected expense that wipes out any small savings I might manage to build up over a few months.

It's something I've always wondered - how do autoworkers and members of other militant (I say that in a positive way) unions cope with this problem? Is there a different financial mindset, kind of like, "I'm only financially okay if I have three months worth of salary in savings"?

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Originally posted by Michelle:
It's something I've always wondered - how do autoworkers and members of other militant (I say that in a positive way) unions cope with this problem? Is there a different financial mindset, kind of like, "I'm only financially okay if I have three months worth of salary in savings"?

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Almost all collective agreements get renewed without strikes or lockouts. Of all the worries unionized workers have about job security or income security, the prospect of a strike is near the bottom, in my experience. And I don't understand what you mean (even in a positive way) by "militant unions". Do you think they strike more often?? Auto workers certainly don't.

The way unions prepare for strikes is through putting together solid strike funds and combining good bargaining tactics and reasoned analysis with calculated threats. A strike is a sign of failure, but one which cannot always be avoided, because it takes two to find a reasonable, non-mutually destructive solution. And as in warfare, the threat is usually more effective than the execution.

As for the members, I don't think most workers "prepare" for strikes in a general way, because they're so rare. I lived through a strike that lasted just over three months once -- pretty brutal -- but that was the only time, and I suspect the majority of unionized workers never see that much over a whole career. When a relationship is particularly dysfunctional, I know members who sock away some money, but it's so unpredictable that it never really works. Most strikes, rare as they are, are short.

[ 12 March 2006: Message edited by: unionist ]

We cope Michelle, by having savings which I almost always have had in the past. I also arrange loans (ahem-- usually) so that they don't carry over a contract.

People will let you slide a bit on bills, if need be and in hard cases the union helps out by negotiating on bills and if possible when necessary, helping out with money.

Banks don't really want to take your house if they can avoid it, and the worst strikes don't go much past a month or two, and at my place the track record is about six weeks.

Bad as all that sounds, the life of a contract worker seems more difficult to me.

Since my separation and ensuing divorce, I've accumulated a bit of debt, which is what has made me vulnerable this time. That should be taken care of, or mostly taken care of at the end of this contract, all things staying the same.

Which of course, they won't.