FDR and public union collective bargaining

The right now has found peace with FDR - they are pointing to a letter written in 1937 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Luther C. Steward, President, National Federation of Federal Employees expressing his opposition to strikes by federal employees. This letter they say to the "left" shows that FDR was against collective bargaining by public employees. Hogwash!

But, the union busting ideologues lift from that letter only what they wanted - never mind that it is out of context. It is clear from the whole of the letter that the president in 1937 was concerned only with an ability of federal employees to strike as a tool of collective bargaining. [See Glenn Beck Needs To Look Up FDR's Record Of Supporting Collective Bargaining for a sample of the dialogue.]

From FDR's letter: "It is, therefore, with a feeling of gratification that I have noted in the constitution of the National Federation of Federal Employees the provision that "under no circumstances shall this Federation engage in or support strikes against the United States Government."

Look - 1930s were heady economic times. The depression was between 1929 to 1941. The focus was to get out of the depression. WW I was over but WWII was in the making. Take a peek at this timeline - it is not hard to imagine why strikes by federal employees would have been disastrous. [See too Great Depression.]

But in any event, one cannot, in effect, transport contents, partial or in full, of FDR's 1937 letter concerning the right of federal employees to strike into the 2011 context of  labor collective bargaining rights of state employees.

The right to strike is a valid issue for discussion - should public employees be allowed to strike? To get to this point - one must assume that they have collective bargaining rights or any discussion is moot.

Today federal labor-management relations are regulated by federal statute and it is an unfair labor practice for labor "to call, or participate in, a strike, work stoppage, or slowdown, or picketing of an agency in a labor-management dispute if such picketing interferes with an agency’s operations, . . . ."

But as apart of the discussion - some delineation has to made as to categories of union employees. Are federal employees to be treated differently than state employees? There is no doubt that as part of collecting bargaining - a strike is a useful tool. However, would strikes by state employed teachers be inimical to state interest such that a ban is necessary?