Wes, I think you are talking about a "lock down" (not a "lockout") which is SOP as soon as a strike hits (check for sugar in forklift gas tanks, etc.).
A "lockout" is another spefic term of art in labor relations. It is the opposite of a strike...the company bars union members from working until a settlement is reached. It is used for defensive purposes. For example, in Vegas, if one casino-hotel is struck in a weak-sister approach (union gets one company to sign, and then forces it down everyone elses throats) or several are alternately struck in a whipsaw approach (strike one company for two weeks, then put the members back to work while the next place is hit for two weeks, etc., all to prevent hiring a replacement work force), all of the casinos will lockout out union members until a deal is reached. The most recent example of an industry defensive lockout was the Southern California grocery dispute a few years ago...Vons was hit, so Ralphs and the others locked their union employees out.
During a lockout, employers hire temporary replacements to fill the jobs during the dispute...they keep operating. As for taking down and moving a plant...that falls under the WARN Act...a different scenario entirely.
I'm gonna see if I can get you guys Human Resource Certification credits for reading my posts.
