At the striker's table some innocent probably asked what "managment" was and got a similar response. At about that age I asked my very RRRRREPUBLICAN/MANAGEMENT type father what the Democrats believed...sounded like commies the way he told it. I've only been in a union when I needed one once...teachers union...pretty damned near worthless when needed. Was in Printers union...didn't need them...probably because they were pretty damned useful when needed...still, I didn't like being told to abandon my machines for an impromtu demonstration, went back to shut them down properly...boss saw me...didn't say anything...which generally was high praise from him. Its nice to know that someone is in charge of inflating rats' erections. -jc On Nov 13, 2003, at 10:06 AM, Met History wrote: ArialIn a message dated 11/13/03 10:54:45 AM, [log in to unmask] writes: ArialRat pumping is the art of keeping tall (ca 10ft) rubber inflatable statue of the rat impersonating non union contractor in erected position. Unions are the  organizations which supply trained workforce for this noble task. Times New Romancould there, then, be rat-pumping strikebreakers?  then what would be the counter-demonstration?  Arial  Times New Romanmy grandfather was with Armco Steel from 1916 until he retired (as chairman) in 1964.  he hated JFK (for not setting steel tariffs, I think) but he really felt the unions were the absolute enemy  (union members do not pump up rats near strikebreakers, they just infiltrate and through them into the electric steel furnace - makes a little pop. Arial  Times New Romanone time at dinner my sisters, then 12, asked grandfather about the then-current steel strike, and what a union was, and what, for that matter, a strike was.   he just stared at them, silently, like he was going to kill them.  Arial  Times New Romanyrs.   better mousetrap