If a strike were to occur, it would not be an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike but rather what the law calls an “Economic Strike,” regardless of whether negotiations broke down over economic or non-economic issues. If a ULP is not a motivating factor, then the employer has the right to keep strikebreakers as permanent replacements even when the strike is over. The IAM Signature MDW members will only be entitled to preference in rehiring if jobs become open.
Just because there is less protection for economic strikers does not mean we can’t carry out economic strikes. It just means the strike committee should include a reinstatement strategy as part of its strike plan (as it should in every strike). In some cases, the committee may have good reasons to believe that an employer will not try to deny reinstatement to our members - our jobs may be protected by practical reasons, like when an employer would have trouble hiring permanent replacements due to the skilled nature of the work, a tight job market, geography, or even the season. The jobs at Signature are considered entry-level by the Department of Labor standards. Your negotiating committee was made aware of this fact during negotiations.
If the strike committee and the members deliver a strong economic strike, then we should insist on reinstatement rights as part of the strike settlement. The following questions are generated using the IAM Union Strike Manual. If you are unsure of an answer, you should inquire to get the correct answer. These questions are intended to gauge your readiness and provide you with questions intended to make you consider the gravity of a strike.