What is the difference between an economic strike and an unfair labor practice strike? Describe the rights of strikers and strike replacements in both economic and unfair labor practice strikes. (20 minutes)

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An economic strike is when employees are striking over wages, benefits, and work rules (mandatory bargaining issues) during contract negotiations. An unfair labor practice strike occurs in protest against an employer's unfair labor practices (i.e., violations of the NLRA). It is legal to have replacement workers do the work of strikers during an economic strike. Employers do not have to fire the replacements at the end of a strike in order to provide jobs to strikers who want to return to work. In other words, employers can hire permanent strike replacements as well as temporary strike replacements (who are discharged at the end of the strike).
Strikers who have been permanently replaced are not necessarily entitled to immediate reinstatement to their jobs after they end their strike. However, these employees cannot be fired in the literal sense. Rather, at the conclusion of a strike, returning strikers are placed on a priority recall list, and as jobs become available, the employer must first offer jobs to the former strikers before hiring any new employee. In addition, the status of temporary or permanent replacements must be disclosed to them at the time of hire.
By contrast, employers cannot use permanent replacements during an unfair labor practice strike (otherwise, employers could benefit from their own illegal actions). Unfair labor practice strikers are therefore entitled to immediate reinstatement at the conclusion of the strike. It is up to the NLRB to determine whether a strike is an economic or unfair labor practice strike. However, this determination can be complicated. If an unfair labor practice has "anything to do with" causing a strike or if it appears that the employer's unlawful conduct played a part in the employees' decision to strike, then the strike is an unfair labor practice strike. Also, an employer's unfair labor practice during an economic strike can convert the strike to an unfair labor practice strike.