#1 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/05/2014 | Just days after members of the Professional Air Traffic Controls Organization (#PATCO) went on strike on this day in 1981, Ronnie Raygun declared the strike illegal under the Taft-Hartley act. Raygun ordered the 13,000 striking air traffic controllers to return to work within 48 hours. On August 5th, 1981 Raygun fired over 11,000 workers who refused to return to work. PATCO, who supported Raygun in the 1980 election, was decertified as a union and the fired workers were banned from holding federal jobs ever again. It took the FAA close to 10 years to return staffing to its normal level. Some former air traffic employees were eventually rehired. Military air traffic controllers also worked as replacements until new controllers could be trained. In 1993 Bill Clintoon lifted the civil service ban on former strikers. |
MjL |
