Last month marked the grim anniversary of one of the darkest days in American labor history. Forty years ago, President Ronald Regan crushed a strike by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), fired over 11,000 federal workers, and declared “open season†on the labor movement. In the years that followed, replacing striking workers became a commonplace practice in the private sector, union membership declined to historic lows, the wealth and power of the 1% exploded while real wages for most workers have remained stagnant, despite workers in the US being more productive than ever. The breaking of the PATCO strike was an event that played an outsized role in shaping the world we are living in today—a world in which a once-strong labor movement had its back broken, leaving working people to be systematically stripped of their individual will to exercise their rights in the workplace and their collective ability to protect themselves from being crushed into subservience by the profit-seeking prerogatives of the business class.
As part of a special collaboration with Jacobin magazine, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez joined hosts of The Jacobin Show Jen Pan and Paul Prescod for an extended episode examining the past, present, and future of the American labor movement. In this segment from the show, Alvarez breaks down the historical significance and political legacy of Reagan breaking the PATCO strike. We are sharing this segment with our TRNN audience with permission from Jacobin.
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
I hope I can clarify things for this, probably left-wing, audience by directing you to a video called "The Strike that Broke Unions — Reagan vs. PATCO Strikers".
Firstly Ronald Wilson Reagan supported unions and indeed was the first President to be a part of a Union and the first President of his Union to lead it to strike (Actors got benefits from it like re-run money.). However as is conformed to Federal Law, it is illegal for Federal Workers to strike (Think Police Officers, Fire-Fighters and others.). The Union had been attempting for over a decade to get better labour standards through less than legal means but it ended in negotiations, their ultimate goal was a privatisation of the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) which allowed strikes and removed Congress from the matter. In 1979 there was a silent Coup d'état which increased the already high militancy of the leadership and openly planned for a strike. The F.A.A. took appropriate measures (Training personnel and the like which is why the aftermath of the strike was relatively uneventful.) to counter. When the strike happened, the government made an offer of reduced hours (36 hours) and increased pay (6.2% but they were already going to get a 4.8% increase as with all Federal employees in 1981. This means they would be getting double the increase of other such employees.), they rejected this offer (As they had always planned to.) and both broke their contract against striking and the law (Which was rarely enforced so forcefully before (The union had never openly struck before however.).). Even militant former union members noted that they were painting the President of the United States into a corner and the President happily complied since both public opinion, including other airline unions (The Pilots were afraid they would lose their jobs so combated their safety argument.) and other blue-collar workers because the wages were already so high. As much as I sympathise with them, they were well off and arguing for even more.
Just shows you how little people know about what the idiot done to the blue collar . He sure lowered the taxes on them. That's because he cut all there wages
Now we have turds like Meatball Ron looking to continue that legacy
Thank you for bringing this topic up for so many that don't realize or understand the impact this event had on our society and country. I'm the son of an Air Traffic Controller at Chicago Center during the 1981 strike. I was only 8 years old at the time, but it had a profound effect on my father and our family for decades to come. I was so happy to see in 1993 when President Clinton lifted the ban on the controllers. Fortunately, it was possible for my father to see before his untimely death in 1997 at age 47 from cancer. I firmly believe that his death was the result of the events that followed the strike. So thank you again for bringing this topic into the light for a new generation to learn from and understand.
Always nice to hear from the pathetic participation ribbon generation
PATCO's arrogance and incompetence cannot be overlooked.
I can't believe how widely Reagan is revered today. We are indeed living in the hell he created, in more ways than one. He sold out our country to corporate interests lock, stock and barrel, and he should be a figure of shame. I remember as a little kid in the 80s asking my mom: "What's Reaganomics?" She replied: "It means the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." It was obvious then, and it's even more obvious now!
Yup I'm an old . It happened .
Ronald Reagan personally excecated the American family in 1967 with the first no-fault divorce act as Democratic governor of California and then as president signed up every male to the child support wage garnishment system when they get their first job. He is in hell now.
I was an air raffic controller when the strike hit. The Union (i.e. PATCO) wanted a reasonable pay increase and better working hours. I was not a member of the union and did not strike. My pickup truck was vandalized and my life was threatened. But what Reagan did was much worse. Instead of negotiating, he used the strike as an excuse to push the fascist (i.e. 😈 Destroy all Unions) agenda he was a stalking horse for. Even though I wasn't fired, I feel nothing but contempt for the despicable Reagan.
Ronald Reagan is worse then Hitler.
The title of this video explains it all
Their contract said they couldn't strike, and if they did they'd be fired. So he upheld the contract. You can't pick and choose what elements of a contract you want to abide by or not.
Unions suck
THANK YOU! As the daughter of the 1981 National Strike, it's music to my ears to hear folks actually call out Reagan. I was a 13 year old kid waiting that night on August 3 for the FBI to come arrest my dad, a night of trauma that followed me for 35 years until I turned it around and thought how cool that was – my dad standing up to the so called "Hero" of the Republican Party! This is not partisan, however. Note – Nancy Pelosi removed the Starr King statue and replaced it with a statue of Ronald Reagan just a few years ago . . . to represent the state of California! And our own CA governor Newsom created a Ronald Reagan Day on Feb 6! . . . It gets better, though. . . guess who got inducted into the US Labor Hall of Fame three years ago, with no outcry by any democrats? You got it . .. The Gipper himself! You can make this sh%t up!
Your correct ..Reagan was setting precedent in destroying US unions so business's could make huge profits for decades ….that why I avoid buying made in communist china goods
….But let's not forget how Reagan got into office in the first place with the OCTOBER SURPRISE of 1980….then 5 yrs later he fulfilled the Iranians demands of trading Heavy Weapons ( 100 tons to be exact ) for the release of those 44 US EMBASSY hostages funded by yet another WHITEHOUSE SECRET black ops called IRAN-CONTRA SCAM ….I watched all this go down in real time from my late teens to mid 20's . A Few yrs later it was VP Bush son Neil Bush who had his hands on directing his Silverado Savings and loan billion dollar banking collapse by making known fraudulent loans to those who were making large campaign donations to his father's GHW BUSH Presidential Election ( the " read my lips ..no new tax's election ) ..where upon his winning the election ..he emediately raised tax's on everyone ….the 80's were driven by corrupt US politicians and they're links in the private sector and "they're" use of corrupt capitalism thru backdoor shady deals with government …..it's a trifecta of organize crime ….and a vicious cycle of corruption that swirls our country like a storm today …..heck , even on Jan 20 2001 GW Bush in his inaugural speech fore tells his intention of the coming " police state " in America ….he says in his speech " THE ANGEL THAT RIDES IN THE WHIRLWIND GUIDES ITS STORM" ….. And he didn't just say this to be cute or aloof ..he was referring to the coming events of 9/11 and that it was coming ..? personally …I knew the second he said that …that the proverbial sh!t about to hit the fan and America would never be the same .
How convenient, let's just ignore the federal law and PATCO's oath to justify a strike. PATCO attempted to strong arm the US by breaking a federal law that prohibits strikes by government employees; not to mention risking the safety of Americans. We all know when a law is broken there are consequences – PATCO was warned and thought Reagan was bluffing. Even Iran knew Reagan didn't bluff and released the 52 US hostages (after 444 days) on his first day in office. Don't blame Reagan, blame PATCO for a seriously flawed, greedy and foolishly arrogant strategy.
ATCs lost their jobs and they have no one else to blame but themselves.
Police unions protect bad cops and promote police corruption.
Reagan gave those overpaid air traffic controllers the option to go back to work and to continue negotiations. But he was not going to allow them to shut down the airlines.
Let me tell you right now no one's irreplaceable. People die every day. Just ask anyone it's ever been divorced. They're refused to go back to work and to negotiate. They decided to go hardball. So they were out of work. This site is ridiculous. I've worked construction and electrical my whole life. I believe in the concept of a union. But not just the fat cats they're making huge money off union dues
Reagan was a scabby ðŸ
I witnessed this in the 80's. I was in my teens but remember this well… I'm also a proud strong union member of Local 169 Detroit Boilermakers.
Do you think companies spend millions of dollars for anti union campaigns for their workers benefits? Think about it if you're not Union, they'll show you videos, make threats, spread lies about whatever. Do they do that for your benefit because they care about you?