Respect.
In 2003 my union went on strike for a week. It was a tough thing for our members to do. It was November and freezing cold. It was so cold that we needed to organize picket line shifts that were short in duration and use member and supporters’ homes for warming stations.
The main issue was the rising cost of family health care costs. Although it only impacted about 20% of our members, the cost had become so burdensome that 97% of our members voted to strike.
I remember that we were in a negotiation session with the board representatives. At one point a member of the Board leaned into the table and looking right at me said, “Klonsky, what you have to understand is that you