What Happens If A Union Member Crosses The Picket Line?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The Union constitution provides for fines and/or assessments to be levied against any union member that either crosses the picket line or refuses to take part in strike activities. Crossing the picket line or failure to participate in the strike will

result in loss of union seniority

.

What is a term for a union worker who crosses a picket line?


A “scab

,” as CTU defines it, is anyone who crosses picket lines to go to work.

Can union workers cross picket line?


You have the legal right not to cross a picket line in solidarity with your own union

, out of sympathy for workers from another union, or just to avoid confrontation. … Refusing to cross a picket line is a legally protected act. When you approach a picket line you may be asked to honor the picket line.

What happens if my union goes on strike?

As a union member, you are bound by the union’s constitution and bylaws, which in most unions provide that members who work during a lawfully-called

strike can be fined

. Such fines can be expensive and may be collectable in state court.

Can you refuse to cross a picket line?

Where picketing takes place,

employees not directly involved in the industrial action may refuse to cross picket lines

. Such employees can normally be regarded as being on strike and treated accordingly. … However, the pickets themselves must be in dispute with their own employer.

Is joining a union a good idea?


Union members earn better wages and benefits

than workers who aren’t union members. On average, union workers’ wages are 28 percent higher than their nonunion counterparts. … Labor unions give workers the power to negotiate for more favorable working conditions and other benefits through collective bargaining.

What happens if I don’t strike with my union?

The Union constitution provides for fines and/or assessments to be levied against any union member that either

crosses the picket line

or refuses to take part in strike activities. Crossing the picket line or failure to participate in the strike will result in loss of union seniority.

What do you call a picket line member?

A strikebreaker (sometimes called a scab, blackleg, or knobstick) is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. … “

Strikebreakers

” may also refer to workers (union members or not) who cross picket lines to work.

What does it mean to cross picket lines?

:

to go to work while other employees at one’s place of work are picketing

.

Why do unions hate scabs?

Just as a scab is a physical lesion, the strikebreaking scab

disfigures the social body of labor

—both the solidarity of workers and the dignity of work. Smith also points out that the term has mellowed some since it first entered the labor vocabulary. “Scab” used to be thrown into conversation like a bomb.

Do union members get paid while on strike?

When a worker chooses to go on strike, that person is not entitled to a normal paycheck from their employer. However,

many unions will have a strike fund

that will help striking employees meet their basic financial needs.

Can my union kick me out?

Known as

de-authorization

, it allows workers to opt out of joining a union as a condition of employment. It is, quite simply, nearly impossible for workers to get rid of a union once it has been certified as their monopoly bargaining representative.

How much notice does a union have to give for strike action?

For all industrial action, whether or not the ballot took place before or after 1 March 2017, 14 days’ notice must be provided to all relevant employers (any who employ members who will be called upon to take action) before industrial action can begin, unless the employer(s) and union agree to

seven days’ notice

.

Why is it called a picket line?

The term itself comes from the French word piquet, meaning

a stake or pole stuck in the ground

, either to hold up a tent or fence or to mark a line.

Do you have to strike if your union strikes?

If members wish to strike, as most BA pilots did in the recent action, they cannot be forced back to work.

It is against the law for employees to be dismissed for striking as long as their union followed the correct procedures when conducting the industrial action

.

How does a picket line work?

Picketing is a form of protest in which people (called pickets or picketers)

congregate outside a place of work or location where an event is taking place

. Often, this is done in an attempt to dissuade others from going in (“crossing the picket line”), but it can also be done to draw public attention to a cause.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.