Echoes of a Broken Strike [Another great Reagan accomplishment]

Washington Post ^ | August 5, 2006 | By Charles J. Whalen

[aculeus]

This week marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most devastating strikes in modern U.S. labor history. On Aug. 3, 1981, more than 12,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) walked off their jobs. It was not the first illegal strike by public-sector workers, but conventional means of resolving such cases failed to impress President Ronald Reagan: He discharged and permanently replaced those who would not promptly return to work. The U.S. labor movement has never recovered, and working families across the nation continue to pay the price.

In the immediate aftermath of the PATCO strike, many observers reported that Reagan's action marked a turning point in U.S. labor relations.

History has shown this assessment was right on the mark. If it is true that the strike is labor's "only true weapon," as some unionists suggest, then practically the entire movement has been disarmed. This also indicates that the legal right of workers to organize and bargain collectively has little real meaning.

[aculeus]

...working families across the nation continue to pay the price benefit from Ronald Reagan's second most important victory. (His first, of course, was the downfall of the USSR.)

[Chode]

and Dutch didn't fire anybody... all their dumbassas QUIT!!!

[Minn]

Through the International Labor Organization (ILO), governments around the world have declared that the right to strike is part of the freedom of association. In short, it is a human right. The ILO has also found that the U.S. permanent-replacement doctrine undermines that right.

Whataya suppose the political leaning of this fine organization is? Seems the right to can striking workers is also part of freedom of association, no? Or do only organized unions enjoy this freedom?

The author also makes a big leap that the firing of blatantly law breaking controllers somehow affected the relationship between private firms and legally striking unions. Where is the evidence of that, other than the author’s obvious emotional attachment to all things union?

Do you suppose this guy would agree with the proposition that public unions, by engaging in bargaining with compromised politicians that they work to elect and contorl, are inherently corrupt organizations, and should be subject to RICO?

[bboop]

They quit? Is that true? I thot he fired them. (Excuse -- I was a lib then...).

[headsonpikes]

Public sector unions are morally indistinguishable from common criminal conspiracies.

[geezerwheezer]

What dumba** wrote this article? Wailin' Whalen has to be a pretty stupid fool to write trash like this. Pres. Reagan took the actions he did to protect OUR government from being held hostage by a group like PATCO. What part of this does Whalen not understand?

[moonman]

The author starts off by saying the strike by PATCO was ILLEGAL. Everyone knows that PATCO can not strike, EVER! Prison guards and most police agencies are not allowed to go on strike, EVER! Yet, he uses this case as his benchmark in examining the decline and influence of unions since 1981.

This idiot doesn't know what he's talking about. Unions have been on the decline since the 1960's and they have no one to blame but themselves. What he claims to be company pressure on keeping wages low, he missed the point of 'free market' wage for certain jobs. Look at the U.S. steel or auto industry if one wants to know what happens when companies surrender to unions.

[FormerLib]

The U.S. labor movement has never recovered, and working families across the nation continue to pay the price.

The leftists are getting sloppy, they forgot to include the "women and minorities hardest hit" mantra.

[Snickersnee]

Memoirs of former Soviet officials say this action of "Reynaldus Magnus" was a first indication that he might be Someone to be Taken Seriously. How right they were!

[Ken522]

Charles J. Whalen must come from New Jersey - seems like everyone I met when I lived there just loved the unions ...

[Mr Ramsbotham]

The U.S. labor movement has never recovered, and working families across the nation continue to pay the price.

Yeah, those nuclear sweatshops are really murder, especially on the kids.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

many observers reported that Reagan's action marked a turning point in U.S. labor relations

It also marked a change that Reagan wasn't going to tolerate any BS.

Countries around the world immediately took notice, and promptly defecated in their pants.

[Chode]

it was AGAINST THE LAW for them to strike. it's in their contract...

when they struck, they in effect quit. all RonaldusMagnus did was accept their resignations and hired new controllers.

[dr_who_2]

The Washington Post shows its true colors.

[par4]

Wrong, no one I know quit....they were fired.

[redgolum]

Really? Never heard that.

I wish that most industries would handle things that way.

[DuncanWaring]

No, they were fired.

They were given a deadline to return to work; if they weren't there for their shift on that day, they were out.

There were a few unfortunate controllers who were legitimately absent (medical leave and such) who were also fired at that point, but I believe they appealed and were reinstated.

[laconic]

Interesting that this nonsense was published in the Washington Post. LEst we forget, its publisher Lady Katherine Graham, with the help of Nixon-hating Executive Editor Ben Bradlee busted the printers union at the Post when they dared to complain about working conditions. They sent the paper out to be printed at scab satellite printing operations and got their reporters to cross the picket line.

[Chode]

see #14