1,100 National Grid workers locked out of work after contract expires
Geez, locked out at midnight the day their contract expired.
Geez, locked out at midnight the day their contract expired.
National Grid Doesn't Fool Around!
- Thread starter over9five
- Start date
BigUnionGuy
Got the T-Shirt
UPS couldn't do that....
Indecisi0n
Well-Known Member
I wish they would lock us out. I need a beach day so bad.
Jackburton
Gone Fish'n
Did you mean bleach?
Indecisi0n
Well-Known Member
Is it Friday already?
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
thats weird. i thought it was common practice to keep working under the previous contract if a new agreement hasnt been reached
MyTripisCut
Never bought my own handtruck
Out of curiosity, because they aren’t allowed to? Or because they couldn’t replace that many workers at once?
BigUnionGuy
Got the T-Shirt
No disrespect intended, as I know others read this forum.
It's a good question.
In the realm of labor law, strikes and lockouts are types of work stoppages.
- Strikes are initiated by the employees and is when the workers cease work during a labor dispute.
- Lockouts are initiated by the employer and is a denial of employment during a labor dispute.
This is a (over) simplification.
That's exactly it.
Replace 260,000 experienced Union workers ? Not gonna happen.
They can't get people to work there now....
-Bug-
Jackburton
Gone Fish'n
A lockout can actually help the cause, as it brings to light how the company has no issues keeping loyal employees out of work because they disagree with issues on negotiations, making them make us strike, in practice that is. In today’s environment, that could really backfire on a company in terms of PR.
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
I wonder how a lockout actually helps a business though? Why wouldnt national grid just keep working its employees while they are negotiating?
Is it some kind of power play? A bluff?
Jackburton
Gone Fish'n
Yes, trying to starve out an unprepared union to break it. If they can staff it with certified replacements, they can keep the lockout under effect while negotiations are still going. On a lockout, they aren’t legally allowed to let any bargaining unit work, even if they wanted to cross the line.
Gimme Danger
Well-Known Member
In a lockout, workers can collect unemployment, which helps the workers potentially stay out longer than they would in a strike. The pressure is on the company, and a good public campaign by the union would help with leverage in negotiations.
