Essay about The PATCO Strike and The Rise and Fall of...

The PATCO strike began on August 3, 1981 with over 13,000 people walking out. nbsp;This illegal act was met with a quick response from President Ronald Reagan (Sconberger p 1). nbsp;Reagan told the strikers, Either return to work within 48 hours or be fired from government service for breaking the oath of office not to strike (Sconberger, special report, p. 12). nbsp;While roughly 1,200 workers returned to work, another 12,000 remained on strike and were promptly fired nbsp;(Sconberger p 1). nbsp;This caused a serious safety problem for the airlines, inconveniences for many Americans, and lost profits for many businesses. nbsp;Controllers needed to be replaced and it needed to be done fast. nbsp;As a result, their were many†¦show more content†¦nbsp;The PATCO continued the problems which unions were having and probably contributed to the continued weakness of the union movement in the United States. nbsp;(Reynolds p 421).p Airline History: nbsp;Prior to PATCOp The nations air traffic controllers became organized in 1968. nbsp;Like many Americans, they wanted 8 hour days, better pay, and 5 day weeks. nbsp;However, unlike many unions in America, PATCOs industry was highly regulated and subject to frequent political scrutiny. nbsp;In 1958, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) was created in order to improve safety in the rapidly growing airline industry. nbsp;This had become a growing concern as the airline industry took off. nbsp;However, in 1963, there was a major collision in midair, which could have been prevented by air traffic controllers. nbsp;Since 1961, no new air traffic controllers had been hired, even though the number of flights had been increasing rapidly. nbsp;Also, controllers were being forced (under the threat of being fired) to work six days a week for upwards of 10 hours per day. nbsp;Also, a lot of equipment was archaic and unable to handle this rapid increase in flights. nbsp;Some of the equipment was dated to World War II and was literally falling apart. nbsp;The FAA was under a lot of pressure to make the airways safe. nbsp;This pressure was in turn placed onto the controllers. nbsp;Needless to say, all of these conditions did not make controllers happy andShow MoreRelatedThe Legacy Of The 1980 S1232 Words   |  5 PagesRepublican Party and Conservative movement still revered in the 21st century. This period is marked by a man that represented and embodied the goals of their party, Ronal Reagan, who was elected to the office of President of the United States of America in 1981. His economic policies, communications strategies, and personality are traits that conservatives strive to emulate looking to him as the model Republican. In a time were communism was America’s greatest threat, Ronal Reagan found himselfRead MoreLabor Is Not A Simple Construct2398 Words   |  10 Pagesagain played an important role in labor. The Lynn Strike of 1860 would not have been as effective if it were not for women. Women helped form the â€Å"social networks that made the demonstrations even possible.† They also held their own female-only rallies that carried signs that demanded they not be treated like slaves and if they are given fair compensation then they would be more than happy to return to work. Women would ultimately abandon the strike resulting in its failure. During the ProgressiveRead MoreRonald Reagans Inaugural Address3044 Words   |  13 PagesIn 1980 America was faced with an economic crisis for the ages and they chose Ronald Reagan to deal with it. By the end of Jimmy Carter’s presidency the interest rate was 15.26 percent, inflation was at 12.5 percent and unemployment at 7.1 percent and these rates were still on the rise.[1] Coupled with an economy that was not growing, these rates pushed the United States into a recession. Due to the current situation President Jimmy Carter had put us in, Ronald Reagan was elected in a landslide victory