Reflections from a Concerned Employee-The Right to Strike
I have to admit that I can see an argument for both sides of the question. On the one hand, I don't think it is good for public employees¾ myself included¾to go on strike. I keep thinking of firefighters, police officers, teachers, and, yes, air traffic controllers like me. People need and depend on us.
But on the other hand, it isn't right for an employee to go along with conditions that are unsafe and unfair over the long haul. I think this is what happens if you don't pay people fairly and if you don't provide reasonable working conditions. I don't refer to conditions that are unavoidably dangerous; I am talking about things that can be fixed.
Well, that was my view when I joined my fellow employees in a strike to try to correct the situation.
You know the story; we were unsuccessful on all counts. We didn't make the skies any safer, and we lost our jobs. To me, it was a tragedy. I ask you, what would you do?
Describe in a paper of at least three full pages what the ethics issues are in the case study example and provide suggestions to the following questions:
1. Should public employees have the right to strike over safety and working conditions? How about wages?
2. What would you have done if you were president during the air traffic controllers' strike?
3. What would you have done if you were an air traffic controller?
4. Apply divergent and convergent thinking applications to your submission.
Provide references.