When National Grid locked out 1,250 Massachusetts gas workers in the predawn hours of June 25, the state’s largest gas utility landed another blow in a power struggle between labor and management that is increasingly tipping in employers’ favor.
The potential ramifications mean that companies are usually very careful to ensure their actions are legal before they undertake such a drastic measure, said Peter Stergios, a New York labor lawyer who represents employers. “It’s sort of like declaring nuclear war in labor relations,” he said.