Question

Collective Bargaining Westwood Industries is a company specializing in sheet metal fabrication. Most of its employees are members of the National Metal Workers Union (NMWU). Westwood and NMWU are negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. After extensive good faith efforts, the parties have reached an impasse. NMWU leadership believe their proposals are fair and justifiable. They see no choice but to commence a strike against Westwood. When the strike begins, NMWU demands a 10% increase in wages and contacts local media outlets to support their cause. NMWU members also form a barrier that denies nonunion workers access to the plant. Finally, NMWU workers organize an immediate sit-down strike inside the plant. Are these tactics permissible?

Answer 1

Since Westwood's workers are not government workers, nor railroad or airline workers, nor farmers or domestic workers, they are allowed to strike by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.

Unions are allowed to call media outlets, and they always do in order o increase public pressure against the company.

Massed picketing (forming barriers and not allowing workers to enter a factory) and sit down strikes are not legal, they are forbidden by the National Labor Relations Act.