Could someone please post a reliable and accurate source for Reagan’s firing of the strikers? Some younger folks have been fed a load of crap on that issue.
At his is the time of the year that the Spanish Government subsidizes its pensioners to visit the South of Spain the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
It is so much better to put the money into subsidize holidays for the pensioners than pay the thousands of employees in the Service Industry an unemployment check.
Other European countries do the same thing - the Costa del Sol, Canaries and Balearic Islands are full of Scandinavians and Germans at this time of the year.
I have been on several of these holidays. I know that in the Canary Island the Scandinavians rent entire hotels for these months to send their elder people to the sun to avoid their severe winters.
Regan did fire all those air traffic controllers when they refused to return to work when ordered. He also decertified the Union and forbade any fired worker from ever working for the government again.
I do not remember if the latter sanction was ever recinded but certainly not on his watch.
At the time of the strike, PATCO was an affiliate of MEBA, Marine Engineers Beneficial Associate. The president of MEBA, Jessie Calhoon advised the PATCO leadership not to strike. The ultimate irony of the strike and the subsequent outcome is that both PATCO and the MEBA endorsed Reagan over Carter.
What I also remember is that Reagan made it quite clear that if the Air Traffic Controllers went on strike, he would fire them. They did not believe him. Also, I remember at the time, the MSM said Reagan would not fire them and that Drew Lewis, his secretary of transportation was a mediocre empty suit and would back down if PATCO went on strike. Well the leadership of PATCO underestimated Reagan's resolve.