Seems to me, when combined with the unexpectedly militant construction workers' demo in NYC and the rank & file rebellion gurgling up at Northwest Airlines that Greenspan & Co. are seeing exactly what they fear most--those pesky and "increasingly confident workers" placing "gradually escalating pressures on wages and costs" and more importantly (as has been the key issues at hand in these 3 strikes) job security.
What amazes me most about these three strikes is that the issues brought forth are directly related to production: Who produces, where it gets produced, and who is to pay when changes are made in that production.