Picket lines
26 June, 2007 - 23:22
Poll piqued me interest.
Has anyone ever crossed a picket line, either knowingly or unknowningly.
27 June, 2007 - 02:25
#2
Nope.
27 June, 2007 - 08:51
#3
all the time.
(not really. One place I worked as a temp I didn't cross the picket line, even though my striking colleagues told I should.)
27 June, 2007 - 09:07
#4
No.
never had the chance though.
27 June, 2007 - 09:11
#5
nope, but then i've seen like, one first hand.
27 June, 2007 - 10:40
#6
When I was at uni during the lecturers, I lived on campus on the wrong side of a picket line. 
27 June, 2007 - 11:19
#7
jef costello wrote:
No.never had the chance though.
ditto.
edit. oh, except for the AUT strike last year, when i baked fairy cakes for the strikers and they turned their noses up. i should have crossed the line just to piss the moody old farts off.
27 June, 2007 - 11:20
#8
At my uni they would have fucking loved you for that!
27 June, 2007 - 11:22
#9
deal. next time your uni is on strike, i'll do some baking for them. 
27 June, 2007 - 11:23
#10
Jack wrote:
At my uni they would have fucking loved you for that!
he didn't say they were good.
27 June, 2007 - 11:23
#11
Jack wrote:
When I was at uni during the lecturers, I lived on campus on the wrong side of a picket line. ;)
should have camped outside like a wee brian haw
27 June, 2007 - 11:28
#12
ftony wrote:
should have camped outside like a wee brian haw
oooh that reminds me...
27 June, 2007 - 13:24
#13
Never crossed a picket line to work. I crossed one during the AUT strike to get into the library so I could photocopy some leaflets though.
The most frustrating thing about helping out on one of those pickets was the number of people who'd come up, tell you how much they supported the strike and then saunter on past to their lecture. For fucks sake 
27 June, 2007 - 14:13
#14
To my eternal shame I once broke the ranks of solidarity. Was working on a ward in the late eighties. Ancilliary staff held a 24hr stoppage. This included, not just catering, laundry, portering, but ward orderlies (cleaners). Most clinical areas supported the strikers and refused to do their work, to increase pressure on management. This worked well. I worked on a long-stay male psycho-geriatric ward. Foodstuffs that littered the floor throughout the day was brushed to one-side (but not cleaned up) to avoid people slipping on it. Pools of urine were soaked up with linen, but the floor not cleaned. Anyway, a patient had a massive bowel action in the middle of the dining area. Dilemma...... Do we scab or do we maintain solidarity!! In the end, after a quick staff meeting, It was deemed appropriate to clean it up for H&S reasons (and the fucking smell). We even contacted the strikers, explained the situation, basically asking permission to break ranks. They said it was ok.......... The problem I was left with was, what would have happened if every clinical area had a similar scenario. I deep down felt it should have been left, perhaps covered... but then come meal time......
27 June, 2007 - 17:10
#15
I went to casualty once with some stuff in my eye whilst the cleaners were on strike. Didn't realise it was a picket line until I was done and walked outside (could barely see on the way in, although I went there with my wife so maybe she's responsible), so I did a short interview for an article here on my way out again. I also apologised for crossing the picket line and they said "oh don't mind that it's the scabs from Brighton and up north we're worried about, not patients, don't be silly, you had crap in your eye" (paraphrasing) - this was the Initial/Rentokil strike at Whipps Cross.
I've seen people (on other forums) call consumers scabs for crossing picket lines to use services/buy stuff (or using services while the workers are on strike even if there's not even a picket line to cross - I'm sure some tube strikes are like that). I think that devalues the term though even though I personally wouldn't do it.
27 June, 2007 - 17:47
#16
catch wrote:
I've seen people (on other forums) call consumers scabs for crossing picket lines to use services/buy stuff (or using services while the workers are on strike even if there's not even a picket line to cross
Yeah some lefties are fucking stupid though.
27 June, 2007 - 17:48
#17
What is the consumer etiquette for strikes? I figure still don't cross picket lines.
Unless you go in and berate the management scabs for the shit service and refuse to buy anything and just bitch. Or is that pointless?
27 June, 2007 - 17:53
#18
jef costello wrote:
What is the consumer etiquette for strikes? I figure still don't cross picket lines.Unless you go in and berate the management scabs for the shit service and refuse to buy anything and just bitch. Or is that pointless?
pointless, but fun
27 June, 2007 - 17:54
#19
John. wrote:
catch wrote:
I've seen people (on other forums) call consumers scabs for crossing picket lines to use services/buy stuff (or using services while the workers are on strike even if there's not even a picket line to crossYeah some lefties are fucking stupid though.
I don't understand. So if the workers at your local grocery store were on strike you'd go shop there? Cause only stupid lefties wouldn't?
27 June, 2007 - 18:00
#20
thugarchist wrote:
John. wrote:
catch wrote:
I've seen people (on other forums) call consumers scabs for crossing picket lines to use services/buy stuff (or using services while the workers are on strike even if there's not even a picket line to crossYeah some lefties are fucking stupid though.
I don't understand. So if the workers at your local grocery store were on strike you'd go shop there? Cause only stupid lefties wouldn't?
No, where did I say that?
27 June, 2007 - 18:00
#21
ftony wrote:
pointless, but fun
mostly, although one place that I worked management all covered the strike and because there was a strike on nobody came in. I'm sure if they'd been a load of people there giving them shit all day it might have been less jolly japes for them. Make them think twice about scabbing in future, and closing is definitely losing.
27 June, 2007 - 18:16
#22
jef costello wrote:
What is the consumer etiquette for strikes? I figure still don't cross picket lines.Unless you go in and berate the management scabs for the shit service and refuse to buy anything and just bitch. Or is that pointless?
I've not had the opportunity to do that, but I'd probably OK it with the people in t6he line, then take pleasure doing so. I berate management for sport when there isn't strikes on anyway, it's just good solid entertainment.
27 June, 2007 - 18:20
#23
John. wrote:
thugarchist wrote:
John. wrote:
catch wrote:
I've seen people (on other forums) call consumers scabs for crossing picket lines to use services/buy stuff (or using services while the workers are on strike even if there's not even a picket line to crossYeah some lefties are fucking stupid though.
I don't understand. So if the workers at your local grocery store were on strike you'd go shop there? Cause only stupid lefties wouldn't?
No, where did I say that?
I'm unclear on what your comment means. Its fairly typical for workers on a strikeline to call anyone crossing the line a scab, but you just said people who do that are fucking stupid lefties.
27 June, 2007 - 18:23
#24
thugarchist wrote:
I don't understand. So if the workers at your local grocery store were on strike you'd go shop there? Cause only stupid lefties wouldn't?
No I wouldn't either, but I wouldn't call a little old lady going out to buy a pint of milk there a scab, or possibly someone taking a replacement bus service to work during a rail strike. They aren't strike breaking per se - and as outlined above, can actually make things a lot harder for scabs in doing so.
edit: I think we should make it very clear that in those discussions, it wasn't even about picket lines - it was simply anyone using a service where the workers were on strike. In my hospital example there wasn't a picket line at the back entrance, and there was absolutely no attempt to stop people from crossing the line or even discuss the issue with them as they went past. Same as someone walking into a train station and using a train where there's no visible sign of a strike (apart from reduced service), is only crossing an imaginary picket line. I wouldn't do it (unless it was life and death, and I'd still feel bad), but I wouldn't scream "scab" at other people for doing so who might not even be aware of it.
I also think it'd be counter-productive to call the nurses/doctors at the hospital where the cleaners were on strike scabs, although it'd clearly be worth trying to gain their support and some kind of action in support of the dispute. Were there to be a "no cleaning" ban to support the cleaners, which the nurses collectively decided on, and then it was broken by people, then it gets more tenous of course.
27 June, 2007 - 18:26
#25
thugarchist wrote:
I'm unclear on what your comment means. Its fairly typical for workers on a strikeline to call anyone crossing the line a scab, but you just said people who do that are fucking stupid lefties.
No, I've seen the discussions on other forums catch is referencing, where people have been called "scabs" for things like getting a train to their best friend's wedding, when the train cleaners are on strike or something, and there aren't any picket lines or anything.
I wouldn't cross a picket line, and would always try not to use a service that was being provided by scabs.
But some lefties are stupid, and feel like big righteous men when they denounce people as scabs.
27 June, 2007 - 18:30
#26
catch wrote:
thugarchist wrote:
I don't understand. So if the workers at your local grocery store were on strike you'd go shop there? Cause only stupid lefties wouldn't?No I wouldn't either, but I wouldn't call a little old lady going out to buy a pint of milk there a scab, or possibly someone taking a replacement bus service to work during a rail strike. They aren't strike breaking per se - and as outlined above, can actually make things a lot harder for scabs in doing so.
I also think it'd be counter-productive to call the nurses/doctors at the hospital where the cleaners were on strike scabs, although it'd clearly be worth trying to gain their support and some kind of action in support of the dispute. Were there to be a "no cleaning" ban to support the cleaners, which the nurses collectively decided on, and then it was broken by people, then it gets more tenous of course, notwithstanding huge piles of shit on the floor.
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you. I just know an awful lot of union members who politically fall on the conservative end of the mainstream political spectrum who would certainly call this scabbing and would also punch you in the face for calling them a stupid lefty. So, I'm just not sure why holding a traditionalist union view on the maintenance of the picket line makes one a stupid fucking leftist. Its been my experience that lefties tend tend to make all sorts of contorted arguments about why they support workers and then stab them in the back as quick as possible.
27 June, 2007 - 18:32
#27
John. wrote:
thugarchist wrote:
I'm unclear on what your comment means. Its fairly typical for workers on a strikeline to call anyone crossing the line a scab, but you just said people who do that are fucking stupid lefties.No, I've seen the discussions on other forums catch is referencing, where people have been called "scabs" for things like getting a train to their best friend's wedding, when the train cleaners are on strike or something, and there aren't any picket lines or anything.
I wouldn't cross a picket line, and would always try not to use a service that was being provided by scabs.
But some lefties are stupid, and feel like big righteous men when they denounce people as scabs.
Gotcha. I'm probably in agreement with you. Mostly.
27 June, 2007 - 18:36
#28
thugarchist wrote:
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you. I just know an awful lot of union members who politically fall on the conservative end of the mainstream political spectrum who would certainly call this scabbing and would also punch you in the face for calling them a stupid lefty. So, I'm just not sure why holding a traditionalist union view on the maintenance of the picket line makes one a stupid fucking leftist. Its been my experience that lefties tend tend to make all sorts of contorted arguments about why they support workers and then stab them in the back as quick as possible.
I added a bit into my post before you replied, just to note that, although I only changed one phrase I think apart from the extra stuff added in.
If a picket line was actually being maintained (i.e. a real attempt to stop people from crossing it, up to and including physical confrontation), and a load of suits demanded to be let through to buy their latte or whatever, I'd have no problem with them being called scabs, but that's a different situation to the one me and John were discussing.
27 June, 2007 - 18:42
#29
thugarchist wrote:
Gotcha. I'm probably in agreement with you. Mostly.
I was trying to make a jibe at you as well:
John. wrote:
But some lefties are stupid, and feel like big righteous men when they denounce people as scabs.
Maybe I should've just called you a tosspot. Tosspot.
27 June, 2007 - 18:50
#30
John. wrote:
thugarchist wrote:
Gotcha. I'm probably in agreement with you. Mostly.I was trying to make a jibe at you as well:
John. wrote:
But some lefties are stupid, and feel like big righteous men when they denounce people as scabs.Maybe I should've just called you a tosspot. Tosspot.
Its not my fault your friends a scab. Uh... gobshite poppycock!
Nope, in fact I refused to deliver mail to a struck brewery at work just yesterday.