What Was the Point?

The nation’s longest and largest strike in the age of austerity ended this weekend. But the labor standoff continues as 45,000 Verizon landline technicians and customer service employees on the East Coast will return to work on Tuesday without a new contract.

The Communication Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), representing thousands of workers striking the nation’s largest wireless carrier, announced an end to the biggest walkout in recent labor history and the resumption of contract negotiations. However, at the present time, this is not a victory for the workers by any means.

After two dynamic, energetic weeks of walking picket lines and receiving no paychecks, Verizon workers are returning to work under the previous contract while revived negotiations with an obstinate standard-bearer of corporate greed make the prospect of a prolonged contract battle almost certain. Union leaders say they decided to end the strike after the company agreed to bargain seriously on contentious issues that Verizon had refused to budge on until now.
~ from Unions End the Biggest Strike in Years — But the Battle for Verizon Workers Continues by Brian Tierney ~

When workers go on strike, it is not a matter to be taken lightly. It means foregoing needed wages and benefits. It means the threat of violence from the company and, possibly, the government. It means the possibility of losing your job to scabs. It means the possibility the strike could last for weeks or months.

But for all these trepidations, the strike can be the ultimate bargaining chip for a union. Most strikes hurt the corporation in the manner most likely to get the attention of managers and owners -- in the wallet. Profits tend to go down, sometimes by big margins. It represents a big carrot for the company to negotiate in good faith.

So, what have the Verizon workers accomplished by ending their strike? Not much. Instead of showcasing the power of union solidarity, union leaders have showcased the weakness of today's labor movement! By throwing in the towel in such a short amount of time, they have ceded almost all of the negotiating power to the corporation.

By waving the white flag, union leaders almost have guaranteed that this process will not turn out well for the rank-and-file.

Really, what was the whole point of this futile exercise?