And you lost. Badly. The fact is, the supermarket companies were NOT trying to take away your healthcare. They only asked that you pay a portion, just like most other workers. And that's what your union ended up negoiating.
About the only "victory" the union can claim is that they hurt the hand that feeds them and badly hurt their members. I asked a picketer yesterday if it was worth it. His body language belied his answer. They've been had and they know it. Four plus months with no pay to get a deal they could have had in a week. No doubt they'll blame the "greedy companies" rather than themselves and the boneheads who led them to strike.
It's quite sad actually. These ignorant people have been led over a cliff by thugs to whom they've trusted their livelihoods. Maybe this will be a lesson to other truculent unions that strikes are anachronistic and dangerous. Or to unskilled workers that acquiring marketable skills through self-improvement and education are a better bet than being a member of a labor cartel that uses force to impose higher than market prices for unskilled labor upon its employer. Nah.
Much better than a win/lose deal in which the union gets what it wanted and the companies not only lost a lot of money due to the strike but continue to pay higher labor costs.
This is also called, getting permanently laid off when the companies go out of business.
With brainiacs running the unions, it is no wonder why United States is losing the manufacturing jobs to other countries.
Ya think?
I have a good story that is related to this unmitigated disaster for those union employees. The #1 cardinal rule is, never strike during a recession!
During the last recession back in the early 1990s, on the way to work, I had to drive past a factory. One day I noticed a strike. Union strikers were holding signs and chanting. Every day I saw these people next to the road. A week later, a month later...less and less people were striking. A year later, wouldn't you believe it, they are still on strike. Just a couple of people and then one day they were gone too.
When there is an economic downturn, a lot of people want your great paying jobs. It goes without saying but...at times like this, DO NOT GO ON STRIKE dumbass!
Yet they went on strike. Perhaps now they'll realize just how good they have it.