[VRM]

The only time I have ever felt any sympathy for a union was the (predominantly) women that worked for 411/911. When I worked for phone companies they were measured on the time that they went to the bathroom. They did not get the huge salaries that the other phone company union workers got.
The other union people (not the operators) would vote to strike so that they could get an extra minute added to their break even though they would sit around the switch room playing cards. The operators would have no salary when they were on strike, and when they went back they would gain that extra minute of break, but be out many weeks of pay. The other union people would get lots of overtime to catch up on everything - the operators would often see their hours reduced because people would start using phone books instead of calling 411.

Steve