A well-stated example of why "what is fair" fades into chaos when the bullyboys go out into the streets and prevent non-union workers (scabs) from earning a living so that the bully boys can extort higher wages.
It's not EXTORTING higher wages - it's regulating the supply in order to safeguard it and to get the best value of it. I bet you would defend the right of a storekeeper to charge $14 for a bottle of water after huricane season? Well, it's the same thing, only the other way. And since there is no legal way to deal with "scabs" guess what happens! "Extra-legal competetive action". We can't sue scabs for copyright infringement, or anything like that, so we whomp' em. Just like the drugdealers do with other gangbangers. Not because their business is illegitimate, but because they have no legal recourses.
Remember Terry, in a purely capitalist society, the government would not get involved one way or another. Completely lasseiz-faire, and guess what would happen. TRADE GUILDS AND UNIONS! Why do you defend the right of monopolies to economically crush their competetitors but refuse the managers of "labor" to do the same? What makes labor different from any other resource needed for economic production? The government DOES get involved at the behest of their oligarchal comrades and tries to send in the army, or breaks up the union, or orders folks back to work because the resource is nationally vital. So the unions need to be strong and solid.
Unions are the triumph of capitalism; and the beauty is that by giving a little bit more, the owners GET a ton more in the form of loyal employees and they still make huge profits and nice compensation packages. I'm not demanding a compeltely level pay package, but a UNION is the only way to successfully negotiate for higher wages without getting fired for your effrontery. And if feeding my family and whomping a scab are on the same ticket, I'm taking that ride.
CZAR