Originally Posted by jimcfsus
I haven't asked this publicly before, though I've pondered this a lot... why can't US legally break the unions, especially the ones that don't want to play along with their wishes? I think this could be the idea the OP has, but hasn't directly come out and said it. Could US just spin those off into another subsidary and either create a new one or bring into it people from the old one that they want (i.e. selectively keep people)?
I'm by no means a business expert, but is there a legal way to dissolve unions? This will create some discussion, I'm sure.
The contracts have language forbidding "alter-ego" business entities and defining the scope of coverage for each union. And bankruptcy laws got a lot tighter on that sort of thing after Lorenzo used them to break the unions back in the 80s.
If it were easy they'd have already done it. As it is they appear to be trying to do the next best thing -- make conditions so unbearable that the workers leave on their own. Which they would probably do in droves if there was any kind of palatable severance package being offered. But management only understands sticks -- carrots don't make it onto their radar.