Of course not. No one can force you to strike. Only the union members covered by the contract can decide whether to strike or not and even then, a vote must be taken, so that every member has a voice in the process.
Did you know that we consistently negotiate 98% of our contracts successfully without a strike? And did you know that some of our contracts in the tobacco industry have language that makes strikes and lockouts unnecessary? They use arbitration by a neutral third party to resolve a stalemate at the bargaining table.
The fact is, a union’s job is to negotiate a contract that is in the best interests of the membership. In some circumstances a company may take such a rigid and uncompromising position at the bargaining table that members may feel they have no other alternative. The reality though, is that strikes in this industry are very, very rare, and the company knows this.
