Replying to a message of Bob Klahn to Bob Ackley:

 BA>> You consider destruction of property and intentional
 BA>> sabotage of equipment to be 'negotiating?'  That sort of
 BA>> thing was quite common when the CWA went out on strike
 BA>> against the Bell System.

 BK>  You claim all unions engage in sabatoge?

No.  I claim that CWA does (or did).  So do the coal miners.  I'm sure
there are other examples.

 BK> And was it "common" in the sense that every union member did it?

It was common in that it was expected behavior.

 BK> Or even a majority or just a fairly small number?

It only takes one.

 BA>> You also consider threats of bodily harm to be legitimate
 BA>> union organizing tactics.  That sort of thing *is* quite
 BA>> common in most union organizing efforts, particularly when
 BA>> peer pressure doesn't seem to be working.

 BK>  It is? And you have some evidence to back that up?

The coal miners are a whole lot closer to you than they are to me.
I'm surprised you're unaware of their past and presumably current
activities.

 BK> And since when do the majority of workers have to kowtow to the
 BK> pressure of anyone? Esp when electons are secret? If secret elections
 BK>  don't make a difference, then why bother, just sign the card and  the
 BK> union is in.

You forget that those secret elections are to be eliminated under the proposed
new (and horribly misnamed) legislation.

 BK>  I have belonged to IBEW, CWA, and now USWA, and I have never
 BK>  witnessed any form of intimidation against anyone in any union
 BK>  activity.

I used to work with a fellow who had worked for a railroad.  He was 
strongly 'encouraged' to join the union - by six union members armed with
clubs in a dark, isolated corner of the railyard.  He quit that job and joined
the navy.

If you like we can discuss union coal miners taking pot shots at miners
working in non-union mines in Appalachia if you like.

 BK>  I have never known sabatoge to be approved by any union
 BK>  official.

I'm sure they'd never admit to it, even if they were caught on tape doing
it.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+