P.A.T.C.O. and Reagan: an American Tragedy: The Air Traffic Controllers' Strike of 1981

By Evelyn S. Taylor

P.A.T.C.O. AND REAGAN: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY - The Air Traffic Controllers' Strike of 1981 - documents those ominous days leading up to, including, and after the fateful strike and consequent firing of over 11,000 federal employees by the President of the United States in August, 1981. Relying on primary White House research materials available in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library archives, the book concludes that both the strike and the dismissal were not only predictable, but inescapable scenarios, given the resolute and tenacious personalities of the leaders involved. It discusses in length, the compounding effects that the strike had on its members, society at large, and the White House.

P.A.T.C.O. AND REAGAN explores the motivations behind the strikers controversial actions and the corresponding rationales of their opponents, which included just about everybody else. It highlights the heightened emotions that fueled the unions expectations before the strike and drove its fervent quest for redemption after the strike. The unions inability to comprehend how the strike would be perceived ultimately doomed its efforts and condemned it to a collision course with the Reagan Administration, the general public, and even its own membership . As a consequence, organized labor in the United States would never be the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 29, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456718503

Evelyn S. Taylor

Evelyn S. Taylor is the Archivist for the Honorable Robert J. and Norma M. Lagomarsino Department of Archives and Special Collections at California State University, Channel Islands in Camarillo, California. She has a Master's degree in History (concentration on the 1980s), with an emphasis in Archives from California State University, Northridge and a Master's degree in Library Science from California State University, San Jose. A lecturer in oral history, Ms. Taylor has also written CONDUCTING ORAL HISTORIES: A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING EXPERIENCE.

Book preview

Table of Contents

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

DEDICATION

FORWARD BY

Introduction

Expectations

A Line In The Sand

The Strike

Aftermath

For Better Or Worse: A New Patco

Conclusion

Bibliography

End Notes

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

(in part)

By Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

II.

‘Forward the Light Brigade!’

Was there a man dismay’d?

Not tho’ the soldier knew

Some one had blunder’d.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

DEDICATION

∫∫∫∫

This book is dedicated to my parents,

because they always believed in me.

FORWARD BY

THE HONORABLE ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO

MEMBER OF CONGRESS 1974-1992

The events of the air traffic controllers’ strike of 1981 definitely played out in the public forum.  The strike engulfed the unions, the community-at-large, and the Reagan administration in a contentious debate over the right to strike against the government and the repercussions that would follow – those expected and unexpected.

It is important that events like these are preserved for further introspection and discussion and we are fortunate that the archivists and other professional record keepers of our society are mindful of these snapshots in time.  Their meticulous recordation, detailed analysis, and reasoned conclusions enable us as a nation to reflect on our missteps, as well as our successes. Books such as this, allow us as a nation to take a thoughtful and reflective journey through our colorful history, wherein we strive to improve upon our country’s collective future.

The air traffic controllers’ strike of 1981 raised a number of serious issues that bear close scrutiny.  Unions are, for better or for worse, an integral part of the very fabric of American life.  From the factories of Detroit, to the coal mines of West Virginia, from the trucks lumbering through Nebraska, to the verdant hills of California, Americans are directly or indirectly, affected by union issues.

Ms. Taylor has done an excellent job of exploring the strike from all sides and from all perspectives.  Her book captures the emotion of those turbulent days and offers sound rationale as to the motivations of everyone involved.  Although I generally supported the Reagan administration’s position on the strike, I invite readers to take a look at this interesting snapshot in time as presented by Ms. Taylor and discover for themselves, what lessons can be learned.

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The only illegal strike is an unsuccessful one.

— Robert Poli, PATCO President.

Introduction

By the nature of the beast, most American presidential administrations achieve some sort of permanent notoriety – a legacy which they are known for, referred by, attributed to, and associated with, whether history proves it later as correct or incorrect. For a handful, it is glory; for a majority, it is celebrity; and for a scant few, obscurity. Whatever that distinction may be, its existence leaves an unyielding impression upon society for years to come. Each administration is paralleled with the social, economic, and political issues, events, and personalities that it represents and the Ronald Reagan presidential administration is no different.

The Reagan administration will be remembered for its own historical landmarks and one such event which lasted only days to some and years to others was the Professional Air Traffic Controllers’ Organization (PATCO) strike of 1981 and its outcome affected an entire nation’s future. PATCO was the certified bargaining agent for a segment of the federal government’s employees1 and whether or not the impending consequences of its destruction were recognized by either side at the time remains an unknown question; one which will probably never be answered.

The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization was originally established in 1968 as a professional organization, intended to represent the interests of federally-employed air traffic controllers. The following year, the U.S. Civil Service Commission determined that PATCO was not a professional association, but instead, a trade union.

According to the PATCO papers at Georgia State University’s Special Collections, the objectives of the organization were to preserve and promote the profession; to improve working conditions for air traffic controllers within the United States, its territories, and possessions; and to represent its members in dealing with the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies concerning grievances, personnel policies, practices, and other matters.2

Now, there are numerous historical examples of employees who conducted strikes and were successful. In fact in 1970, PATCO itself called upon controllers to conduct a "sickout" to protest unfair FAA actions and with that, over 2,000 controllers nationwide did not report to work. The government was forced to the bargaining table on its knees.

This is not a book about labor history, however. Rather, it is a simple (and compacted) exploration into those events and personalities, as documented within the White House files located at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which became ensnared within the PATCO strike, so much so, that their final conjunction ultimately guided almost two decades of labor union activity into oblivion. The issues are far too complex to make such an easy determination as to who was at fault and it may be that there is no side that is fully culpable. This is a story about human emotion and that factor alone often clouds judgment, even in the best men and women.