US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

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Rwy in Sight
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US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#1 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sat Sep 26, 2015 7:15 am

Yesterday my US trained dentist trying to move the discussion for her constant lateness, she bubbled about various things including the strike of the ATC in the US in the early 80's when the the President Reagan decided to fire all the striking stuff. Most of what she described was fitting with what I know but she mentioned something a solidarity with a french strike :-\ . Is there a member who was in the field around this time to kindly let me know why the strike started, how long it lasted before the president took action and how they were replaced.

Thanks in advance.

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#2 Post by West Coast » Sat Sep 26, 2015 9:48 pm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profess ... tion_(1968)

Was in high school so I don't have personal knowledge, but entered into aviation shortly thereafter. Knew many a military ATC'er who was called to work for the FAA to keep planes moving. When I went into federal employment in the mid 90's,the paperwork and initiation made it very clear that certain occupational fields could not strike.

There's ramifications still today. As many thousands of controllers were fired overnight, and thousands hired to replace them, a large part of the work force needs replacing at the same time. With a mandatory retirement age of 56 the FAA is in the midst of a tidal wave of retirements as the replacement controllers become eligible to or are forced to retire.

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#3 Post by Clever and Cunning. » Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:13 pm

Back then, just as it is now, it is/was illegal for US Government employees to strike. All US Government employees give their word that they will not go on strike when they accept employment with the US Government by signing a 'no strike' pledge.

President Reagan gave the striking Air Traffic Controllers a period of time to return to work, a minority of the strikers did return to work despite death threats and other forms of harassment from the striking controllers. Those that did not return to work were fired as according to the law.

As West has pointed out the striking controllers were replaced by military air traffic controllers and FAA controller supervisors.

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#4 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sun Sep 27, 2015 8:32 am

Thanks for the answer so far. And a short political comment: no wonder why Reagan and Thatcher had such a great working relation, I guess they could have fill each other shoes at very short notice - provided laws permitting it.

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#5 Post by Stoneboat » Tue Sep 29, 2015 2:31 am

I was in CLE with our company Gulfstream the day President Reagan fired the controllers. We were staying at the Sheraton Hopkins Hotel, walking distance from the terminal, and I seem to recall there were controllers picketing outside the terminal building. There was some confusion initially on whether they would allow IFR flights by non-airline aircraft, but by the time we were ready to leave at 17:00 events had progressed to the point where we were given a departure slot in less than an hour. It helped that we were proceeding northeast bound into Canada. Our next trip to the US was to either LGA or EWR - I forget which - and that was the first time we had had to request an arrival slot when entering the United States. Otherwise it was business as usual.

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#6 Post by Slasher » Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:53 am

I remember those days. I was a 727 F/O buckeroo in Oz but I was never able
to find out exactly what the controllers were striking for, apart from the crap
emanating from the popular press.

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#7 Post by rgbrock1 » Fri Jan 22, 2016 3:53 pm

Slasher wrote:I remember those days. I was a 727 F/O buckeroo in Oz but I was never able
to find out exactly what the controllers were striking for, apart from the crap
emanating from the popular press.


What the strike was for? The usual:

On Aug. 3, 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, which represented most of the nation’s 17,000 controllers, went on strike seeking higher wages, a shorter workweek, improved pensions, better equipment and other benefits. Even in an era when labor unions were powerful, it was an audacious move.
Pro Deo et Constitutione — Libertas aut Mors

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#8 Post by Rwy in Sight » Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:43 pm

Living in a country with untoward strong public sector unions, I am sure more often than not the main requirement is better wages (and maybe less working hours). All the other requirements are just a smoke screen.

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Re: US ATC strike in the 80's and president's Reagan reaction

#9 Post by fin » Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:20 am

I had occasion to visit the control tower of a mid sized airport in NE US about a week after the strike began.

I saw a somewhat grizzled USAF Sgt (probably MSgt- three up three down) on the mike and as I entered the cab he was saying "28Poppa, if you do not keep your pattern closer to the airport, your touch and goes will be terminated."

I never knew there were SO many military controllers to be found out there. It was a whole new experience for the civilian trainee pilots in the area!
Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.

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