VLVL2 (15): None of the Usual Civilians

[Dave Monroe]

"... something about the light, the angles flattened
out and the atmosphere thickened, wasn't right--glare,
location, something.  Rumors filtered back from the
cabin that the air controllers down there sounded like
they used to in Vietnam, none of the usual civilians
were on the job, and there was heavy traffic on all
the military frequencies."  (VL, Ch. 15, p. 355)


"sounded like they used to in Vietnam"

How was that?  Let me know ...


"none of the usual civilians"

In August 1981, Ronald Reagan took an uncompromising
stand against striking air-traffic controllers who
threatened to shut down the nation's airlines. The
striking workers complained of growing demands and
dangerous levels of stress on the job. Their issues
centered on wages, retirement benefits and hours. 

The president announced the striking workers were in
violation of the law, and he fired them, with little
apparent remorse. Organized labor was furious while
the public had a more mixed reaction. Even those
within his own administration had their doubts about
the move....

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/reagan.years/whitehouse/airtraffic.html

Ronald Reagan, fortieth U.S. president 
  
On the striking air-traffic controllers 
  
"They are in violation of the law, and if they do not
report for work within forty-eight hours, they have
forfeited their jobs and will be terminated."
(Washington, D.C., August 3, 1981) 
  
On August 3, 1981, almost 13,000 air-traffic
controllers went on strike after negotiations with the
federal government to raise their pay and shorten
their workweek proved fruitless. The controllers
complained of difficult working conditions and a lack
of recognition of the pressures they face. Across the
country some seven thousand flights were canceled. The
same day, President Ronald Reagan called the strike
illegal and threatened to fire any controller who had
not returned to work within forty-eight hours. Robert
Poli, president of the Professional Air-Traffic
Controllers Association(PATCO), was found in contempt
by a federal judge and ordered to pay $1,000 a day in
fines. On August 5, an angry President Reagan carried
out his threat and fired the 11,359 air-traffic
controllers who had not returned to work. In addition,
he declared a lifetime ban on the rehiring of the
strikers by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
On August 17, the FAA began accepting applications for
new air traffic controllers, and on October 22 the
Federal Labor Relations Authority decertified PATCO.  

http://www.historychannel.com/speeches/archive/speech_227.html


... "By 1981 management-labor relations had
deteriorated to an all-time low.  ATC’s complained of
staff shortages, dangerously out-of-date equipment,
limited opportunities for transfer, and harsh
authoritarian leadership [...]."  When negotiations
opened in February, President Poli brought a list of
97 demands to the table with 60 of them concerning
various work conditions.  In March 78% of PATCO
membership indicated their willingness to back a
strike.  In June, the FAA made its final offer of
$2500 pay increase, a 15% increase in pay for night
work, and a guaranteed thirty-minute lunch period. 
So, when Poli presented the terms to the PATCO
members, an astonishing 95% voted to reject the terms.
 The FAA refused to make any further concessions in
the talks that followed, and on August 3, 85% of
PATCO’s members went on strike.... 
    President Reagan then threatened to fire all the
ATC’s who did not return to work within 48 hours. 
Only 1,650 did, and the remaining 11,350 lost their
jobs.  The FAA had to immediately implement their
newly advised plan to offset the effects of the
strike.  Through the use of flow control, the
remaining 10,000 workers were able to maintain over
80% of scheduled air traffic.  Even with the extended
workweek and overtime hours which had to put in the
workforce morale was high.  With the loss of many of
the experienced employees, the stress and heavy burden
was put upon those who remained.  By 1983, controllers
were looking to create a new union.  In 1987, ATC’s
(almost all nonstrikers or new employees) moved to
form the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
(NATCA).  Their grievances mirrored those of the
strikers and exposed once again the FAA’s ability to
rely on technology and monopoly to avoid conceding
control over the workplace.

http://www.stfrancis.edu/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/atcstrike.htm

"Our struggle must not go unheeded, but rather, it
should be allowed to have as much publicity as
possible for the sake of future generations of Labor.
We are an important facet of American history, and our
story needs to be preserved, no matter if we are seen
as right or wrong"

Written by a fired PATCO Controller January 1985

http://www.patco81.com/

And see as well ...

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

http://www.natca.org/default.msp

http://www.natca.org/mediacenter/pressreleasedetail.asp?id=164

Air Traffic Control System Command Center

http://www.fly.faa.gov/Products/Information/information.html

Real-Time Airport Status

http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp

Southwestern States

http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/swmap.jsp


	
		
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