[Billy_bob_bob]

"I believe the dispute is more over them wanting the IT workers coming into the industry to be unionized but the companies are resisting that."

I do believe you are correct about that. The basic argument (as I understand it) is that management is trying to break the union by changing the nature of the work performed from manual labor to technologically skilled labor. That by itself isn't bad, and the union has no objection. The problem is that management wants the new jobs created to be non-union jobs.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

How would so much of industry exist today without bar codes? This union wants to continue to do their work manually. Why?

[steveegg]

And what is wrong with NEW jobs being non-union jobs?

[rockinonritalin]

Thanks for clarifying. Its funny how both the union and mgmt rep said nothing about this last night on TV. Union rep said merely that they oppose the introduction of technology and that mgmt was not negotiating in good faith. Mgmt rep seemed to be trying to throw money at union (proposed agreement to increase average salary 15%+ for 90 days while other negotiations continued).

[SR71A]

management is trying to break the union by changing the nature of the work performed from manual labor to technologically skilled labor. That by itself isn't bad, and the union has no objection. The problem is that management wants the new jobs created to be non-union jobs.

Putting it more clearly, management wants to call them "skilled labor" and fill them with cheap H1-B labor.