If you were Governor of Massachusetts in 1919...

[CPT MikeyMike]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Police_Strike

My vote was YES. Governor Calvin Coolidge said it best "There is no right to strike against the public safety, anywhere, anytime."

[Dr. Cynic]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

[Lief 🗽]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

[bullmoose88]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

I disagree with the broad nature of this statement because the public's right to basic safety (we're not talking about convienence here) is more fundamental than one's right to strike, however, I probably would have not fired the police...at least until all methods had been exhausted.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

[Хahar 🤔]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

[Gabu]

It's a rather sticky situation.  On one hand, it's not fair to employees to be disallowed to bargain for better working conditions purely on account of the fact that they provide an service more essential than another.  On another hand, it's not fair to the general public either to be barred from receiving this essential service that could be life-saving purely due to dissatisfied workers.

I could be convinced either way, but at the moment I think I'd marginally side with the police.

[J. J.]

I would have gone with the arbitration committee, but if that could not have been reached, I would have agreed with CC.

[CPT MikeyMike]

Two questions for those who voted NO...

1. How would you enforce public safety during the strike?  Remember there was some rioting and looting.

2. Would you allow the military (mainly the Army) to strike?

[Dr. Cynic]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

I disagree with the broad nature of this statement because the public's right to basic safety (we're not talking about convienence here) is more fundamental than one's right to strike, however, I probably would have not fired the police...at least until all methods had been exhausted.

What do factories do during strikes? They hire replacements until the strike ends. You need to sit down and negotiate better wages for the people who protect you.

Would I allow the military to strike?... That's an interesting question. I could never see them striking in the first place considering the great wages they have, plus health care, plus retirement. However, in the case they did, I would sit down and talk with them.

[J. J.]

It's a rather sticky situation.  On one hand, it's not fair to employees to be disallowed to bargain for better working conditions purely on account of the fact that they provide an service more essential than another.  On another hand, it's not fair to the general public either to be barred from receiving this essential service that could be life-saving purely due to dissatisfied workers.

I could be convinced either way, but at the moment I think I'd marginally side with the police.

One solution might have been to shut down nonessential services, like mobbing city hall and prevent revenue from being collect, while still providing emergency services.  What are they going to do, call a cop?

I noted that in Winnipeg general strike of about the same time, police services were provided.

[Bono]

It's funny to see that the people who are so supportive of the "right" to ignore a contract are the same ones so eager to end "at will" employment. Nice to see how all parties are treated equally here.

[gorkay]

I don't really know the details of the situation, but in general I would say that mediation and arbitration are always better than pre-emptive action in cases like this.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Two questions for those who voted NO...

1. How would you enforce public safety during the strike?  Remember there was some rioting and looting.

2. Would you allow the military (mainly the Army) to strike?

1.  I would call in the reserves, or, even better, I would quickly find a solution to the police's demands.  In general, strikers make good points (take a look the WGA strike.)

2.  I would not allow the national military to strike, because there is no second line of defense.  Also, I didn't know the army was unionized, and therefore could strike.

[bullmoose88]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

I disagree with the broad nature of this statement because the public's right to basic safety (we're not talking about convienence here) is more fundamental than one's right to strike, however, I probably would have not fired the police...at least until all methods had been exhausted.

What do factories do during strikes? They hire replacements until the strike ends. You need to sit down and negotiate better wages for the people who protect you.

Uhh...except factory workers aren't the same as law enforcement personnel...the former is far more interchangible and can be drawn from the general work force...the latter cannot.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What do factories do during strikes? They hire replacements until the strike ends.

Always? I knew that blackleg labour was more common in the States than here, but not to that extent.

[Dr. Cynic]

No. Every working man or woman has the right to strike.

I disagree with the broad nature of this statement because the public's right to basic safety (we're not talking about convienence here) is more fundamental than one's right to strike, however, I probably would have not fired the police...at least until all methods had been exhausted.

What do factories do during strikes? They hire replacements until the strike ends. You need to sit down and negotiate better wages for the people who protect you.

Uhh...except factory workers aren't the same as law enforcement personnel...the former is far more interchangible and can be drawn from the general work force...the latter cannot.

In any case, I don't think the strike would've happened had I been Governor. But you replace them with temps, or you import Nat'l Guardsmen while the negotiation process goes on. Coolidge firing them made it so that he had to hire a whole new force anyway, right?

[gorkay]

Although I am generally pro-labor and pro-collective-bargaining, I don't agree with the statement that all workers have a right to strike. As much as it pains me to admit it, Coolidge had a good point about workers having no right to strike against the public safety. But in instances in which workers are too indispensable to be allowed to stirke, there has to be some sort of arbitration mechanism in place.

[bullmoose88]

Although I am generally pro-labor and pro-collective-bargaining, I don't agree with the statement that all workers have a right to strike. As much as it pains me to admit it, Coolidge had a good point about workers having no right to strike against the public safety. But in instances in which workers are too indispensable to be allowed to stirke, there has to be some sort of arbitration mechanism in place.

I agree with this statement. Pretty much all of it.

[WalterMitty]

yes.

[DownWithTheLeft]

No. Every No working man or woman has the right to strike.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Look everyone; General Jaruzelski is back!