On August 3, 1981, Ronald Reagan fired the striking members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) and decertified their union. In doing so, he reversed executive precedent on striking federal workers and ushered in a new era of government-management-labor relations. The...
Despite the interruption, Reagan lost little momentum. In the middle of his first summer as president, more than 11,000 federal air traffic controllers, members of one of the few unions to support him, walked off their jobs -- and he fired them. It was a blow to organized labor, already...
In 1981, when the US air traffic controllers union (PATCO) went on strike Regan simply announced that those who did not return to their jobs within 48 hours would be fired. Forty-eight hours later, 11,345 air traffic controllers had lost their jobs. Reagan wanted to show America that he...
Despite the interruption, Reagan lost little momentum. In the middle of his first summer as president, more than 11,000 federal air traffic controllers, members of one of the few unions to support him, walked off their jobs -- and he fired them. It was a blow to organized labor, already...
On Aug. 3, 1981, Reagan ordered 12,176 striking air traffic controllers (PATCO) back to their jobs, disregarding the workers’ complaints of stress, staff shortages, and outdated equipment. PATCO was one of the few unions that had endorsed Reagan in the 1980 election. Reagan repaid them by...
Most of the striking controllers ignored the ultimatum and were promptly fired. Although the firings caused delays and reductions in air traffic until replacements were hired and trained, the public generally reacted positively to Reagan’s action, seeing it as a sign of decisiveness and ...