California state workers may authorize a strike, but action is seen as unlikely

The Sacramento Bee reports:

The strike ballots may come back "yes," but history says "no."

With a Friday deadline looming, members of California's largest state employee union have been voting on whether to give their leaders permission to call a strike.

And another union that represents California's correctional officers may soon send strike-authorization ballots to its members.

No state employee union has ever called a general strike, and it's unclear what would happen if one did. Government officials say that a walkout by Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which has mailed strike-authorization ballots to 95,000 state employees, would violate labor agreements and that the state would punish anyone who strikes.

Great moments in the union movement.