Unions face uphill battle In FairPoint strike
As the strike by FairPoint Communications’ unionized employees nears the two month mark, there’s still no sign of progress toward an agreement between the company and workers. In deciding to strike, the unions felt they had no choice, but it’s an option that has become rare and not nearly as effective as in the past. Marick Masters, professor of management and director of Wayne State University's Labor@Wayne, said the stalemate is much harder for the union to maintain – with workers lacking health care coverage and living off part-time jobs. "Companies are much more willing to take the pain of a strike realizing that they’re in a much stronger position than they have been before," Masters said.
