What unions are not taking pay cuts?
What unions are not taking massive concessions?
What unions are supporting the current round of begging in front of Congress?
How does union labor at the airline damage you?
What right do you have to dictate the terms of labor agreements at the airlines?
Do you even know what you are talking about?
I am just waiting with gleeful anticipation for you to tell all of us what Communists are running the airline unions, and how we are all anti-American.
Take a look at the unions who deal with "public employees" in places like New York (especially the city, but also the state). Teachers here in the Binghamton area are still receiving 5-15% raises, while IBM and practically all other employers in the area are cutting back or shutting down. I got a 3.3% pay cut as of January 2002, with no pay raise this year. My prescription insurance rider went up 50%, and I have 3 kids.
I'm not reflexively against anything, but I see a lot of unions killing themselves with their "success" in negotiating pay raises, etc.
Bingoland is facing a 12.5% sales tax hike, or a 32% property tax hike, or both.
The bottom line in this particular dispute is this: The longshoremen have been in a "slow down" mode at work for weeks. The people who own the ships were paying full charge for half service. They can't simply fire them all - so sayeth the union contract, after all. Instead, they fought back with the best weapon they had available - a lockout that transfers some of the economic pain to those inflicting it.
The unions were born to balance the power of the business owners at a time when the business moguls were abusive. Now, IMHO, the unions have a tendency to be just as abusive. A balance must be sought.
You're not anti-American for supporting the unions in whatever industry, just as those of us with differing opinions arean't. Sorry - I won't rise to that bait.