" ... never recover what they loose in a strike if it is a extended time..."

Maybe so Bob.... but if one does not take the steps to show management that union workers are serious about an issue ... you can bet the next time negotiations come around, management will attempt to steamroll over the parties. Sometimes it's just a matter of priciple ... which most non-union workers can't understand. They might not get back what they lost in a few years ... but measured over a long period of their careers, it's entirely possible to "recover what they lost". Sometimes, even management benefits by the gains negotiated by the union ... especially in health and insurance issues.

Just an opinion.