Gipper's Greatest Hits: Reagan Crushes the Air Traffic Controllers' Union Like an Insect

Reaganite Republican ^ | March 12, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

"We cannot compare labor-management relations 
in the private sector with government..."

In August 1981, President Ronald Reagan faced down an audacious countrywide air traffic controllers strike that threatened to paralyze the nation's transportation system.

But the walkout violated a regulation prohibiting government unions from striking, so declaring the situation a federal emergency -per 1947 Taft Hartley Act- the President held a press conference in the White House Rose Garden to issue an ultimatum...

Reagan warned that if the air traffic controllers 
"do not report for work within 48 hours, 

they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated."

Many thought he was bluffing at the time, but despite fear of a political backlash emanating from some of his cabinet on August 5 1981 Ronald Reagan made plain he was not bluffing by firing every last one of the 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored his order to return to work.


The PATCO union was busted...  [video]
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Reagan Presidential Library   Wikipedia

Previous Gipper's Greatest features -here-

Enjoy your weekend, FReeper patriots...

-RR-

[pnh102]

Beautiful.

[pnh102]

Beautiful.

[heye2monn]

Thanks for the excellent Gipper post! One of his finest moments, indeed.

One little thing, however, I must disagree with Reagan on —

“We cannot compare labor-management relations
in the private sector with government...”

In fact, unions are quite harmful in both public and private arenas. No matter where they are, unions use their enormous political and liberal media power to intimidate management and rake in lucrative pay and benefits. As a result, both governments and businesses go bankrupt while foreign competitors step in to pick up the pieces.

[Vigilanteman]

When Reagan made a full recovery from his assassination attempt, I felt I'd helped in a small way to elect an extraordinary man as president.

When he faced down PATCO, I knew it.

[Sarah-bot]

That was pretty cool. I didn’t know how far this country has fallen until seeing the video. I was young when he was in office. I have seen the cliche of Reagan, but I have not seen this, and this is why he was respected.

[heye2monn]

You can say that again!

[Reaganite Republican]

I agree that unions are harmful in the private sector as well.

And while Reagan was indeed in the union and participated in strikes, he also faced death threats from Hollywood unions when he went against the 1947 studio strike, fighting Soviet agent Herb Sorrell, the thug leading the union and strike.

http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/2011/02/ronald-reagan-100-portrait-in-courage.html

SO, I don’t know how much he really like unions... imo he was perhaps was just adding this to the air traffic controller’s press conference to bring balance to his argument, as many in his cabinet where scared of the political repercussions of a mass firing... he couldn’t just go up there and say “all unions suck” lol

[Vigilanteman]

I had to see the video again. I especially respected the way that Reagan made the principle of separation of powers so clear.

It also reminded me that so many of the reporters asking these dumb-assed questions were just as clueless on how the American Republic was designed to work as their counterparts today.

[Reaganite Republican]

Thanks S-bot... that’s precisely why I post these

And yeah, we’ve fallen plenty far- it’s sickening

[PA-RIVER]

Voting for Reagan was always a proud moment for me too.

Anyone voting for Obama, it must be like the feeling you get after stepping in dog crap. The stink follows you and you don't want anyone to know what you did.

[heye2monn]

You’re right — he had good political reasons for including the line in the PATCO speech. I just wanted to take a shot at unions :-)

[csmusaret]

Here is a good shot at “Public” unions.......http://www.carolinajournal.com/opinions/display_story.html?id=7502

[K-Stater]

I worked with a girl who was an air traffic controller during the PATCO strike. She said that they basically didn't think Reagan was going to do it. Boy were they wrong.

BTW, she wasn't an air traffic controller when I worked with her.

[ez]

I remember a patron at a bar I frequent telling me he voted for Obama and we on the right deserved it. (for being racists I suppose) He was upset that I had played the “Movin on up” Jeffersons theme on the DJ system. I wonder how he feels now?

[PapaBear3625]

The resolve he displayed during the PATCO strike was duly noted by the Soviets and the rest of America’s enemies, to America’s benefit.

[Bean Counter]

You know what’s really sickening?? The way you shamelessly cut and paste your “material” directly from Wikipedia. You don’t have the skill or the common sense to even attempt to do your own writing.

Ronald Reagan had many great attributes, but in-your-face plagiarism was decidedly NOT one of them!

[heye2monn]

thanks — that is a good shot at the public unions that are taking good shots at taxpayers.

[Venturer]

None of them who truck ever worked again as Air Traffic Controllers, I don’t believe. He basically fired them and saw to it they were never hired again as I recall.

You mess with he Bull you get the Horn.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]