The unions in Wisconsin "knew" that they would win since they always did in the past. In the 1980's that changed big time - just ask the former employees at the closed Allis Chalmers, Pabst and Schlitz plants. Management just got tired of dealing with them, closed the plants and moved the work down south.

These days I don't think strike replacement workers have much to worry about in the way of personal saftey.