Final Project, History 2100, Spring 2017, William Paterson University

1. 1981 PATCO STRIKE
Sean Gonzalez

2. INTRO

3. INTRO
The PATCO strike was a strike was a strike in August of
1981. Hoping for better wages, working hours and newer
technology the over 80% of the union members decided
to strike. Soon after the strike started President Ronald
Reagan threatened them with permanent termination of
their jobs. The effects in the working industry are still felt
to this day in what transpired the 48 hours after the strike
began when Reagan kept good on his promise and fired
over 10,000 ATC employees and permanently banning
them from federal jobs.

4. What was the PATCO
The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization or
PATCO was a Union formed in 1968 in the Aftermath of
the 1960 New York Mid-air collision. Created by Hangar
11. The Government union was meant to keep good
working conditions and negotiations with the FAA.

6. ATC Workers

7. Who Made Up the PATCO
PATCO was mostly made up of former military workers. After
retiring from the Military, former radio- controllers ended up
working for PATCO. With many of the former military men
lacking in college degrees, joining PATCO was a way to
become a part of America’s growing middle class. All members
of the PATCO were hired and trained by the FAA. This was
important since trainees could take up to 3 years or longer to
complete the training program. A Trainee would be a GS-6 on
the Federal Pay scale. If the trainees passed the rigorous
training they could be a GS-11.
The average income of a GS-11 worker was $10,000 which
in today’s money would be an average salary of $120,000.

8. Federal Pay Scale

9. Executive Order 10988

10. Executive Order 10988
Executive order 10988 was an order signed by John F.
Kennedy in 1962. “Executive Order 10988 gave Federal
employees the right to join, form, or assist labor organizations”
(1). This was crucial the control tower workers since it did not
allow the FAA to resist the changes that were mandatory with
Executive Order 10988. This also led to the notion that workers
can negotiate their pay with the Federal Government. In 1968,
PATCO completed their requirements to become a Federal
union passed. Executive Order 10988 would lead to a small
victory in the beginning but would also begin the demise of
PATCO later on. The order made it illegal for employees of
federally recognized companies to strike.

12. PAST FAILURES

13. Past Failures
 The PATCO strike of 1981 was not the first attempt for
ATC controllers to leave their positions in order to gain
leverage. On March 25, 1970 over 1/4th of the ATC
controllers called in sick, causing a major delay for
airlines and airplanes. This tactic was used to bring
delays through the skies and affecting the customers
for over a week. The United States Government with
the FAA deemed the sickouts were against the law and
would not negotiate with PATCO until all workers
returned to their positions. This failure led to the
precursor for the 1981 strike.

14. Working Conditions

15. Working Conditions
The PATCO’s working conditions varied from place to
place. Usually with outdated equipment, the ATC
controllers could not keep up with the growing air industry.
Most workers were working 60 hour workweeks with only
2 days off for the workers. With a job that is responsible
for the lives of the people on board the aircrafts, the job
was stressful and left the workers mentally exhausted.

16. What they were fighting for
The PATCO workers were fighting for a better benefits
package which according to the white house equaled over
$600 million annually. The package included a 4 day
workweek and no more mandatory overtime, and
retirement after 20 years of service. Due to the high stress
in the industry, PATCO President Robert Poli said “ Most
of the workers will not even get to retirement” in an
interview to show how serious the deteriorating mental
and physical condition of the workers was.

17. Preparations for the Strike

18. Preparations for the strike
The PATCO strike was developed years before it actually
occurred. In April of 1980, there were packets delivered to
all the PATCO members and explained their vision, plans,
and alternate plans if a strike were to happen. This was
crucial since the PATCO officials let it be known to
everyone that they were planning on striking if an
agreement was not met soon.

19. Candidate Reagan vs
President Regan

20. Candidate Reagan
Ronald Reagan wrote a letter to the President of PATCO
in 1980 while on the campaign trail. In the Letter to Robert
Poli, He explained how he felt that the Air Traffic
Controllers were working long days and weeks and were
in sub-standard working conditions with their technology.
Reagan promised that if he was elected, he would change
the work environment for the better.
PATCO decided that Reagan would be the candidate that
they would support.

21. President Reagan
Once Ronald Reagan became president, he suddenly had
to find a way to keep his power from being questioned. At
the time the United States was still in the Cold War with
the Soviet Union. To show his leadership and passion to
the Citizens of the United States, Reagan forced his
power to PATCO strikers in which he was lauded as a
strong president that the United States needed. This
move was to show the people that the Government was in
control and will not stand for any rebellious acts.

22. The strike begins

23. THE STRIKE BEGINS
On August 3rd, 1981, Over 12,000 of the 17,000 PATCO
workers did not report to work and went on a strike. This
left the FAA looking for replacements to overtake the
airspace controllers and eventually temporarily replaced
them with Military radio controllers. The first day of the
strike caused major flight delays and cancellations.
Overall the first day of the strike cost more than $100
Million Dollars to the airline industry.

24. THE THREAT

25. THE THREAT
Once President Ronald Reagan heard about the PATCO
strike, he immediately addressed the workers in a press
conference. In the press conference he applauded the
workers who showed up and told that ones who did not
show up, that they had to return to work within 48 hours or
face the consequences that will happen if they do not.
Reagan once again also explained that he will not
negotiate with workers who are breaking the law. The
deadline was set. August 5, 1981 at 11 AM. (2)

26. 48 hours later

27. 48 HOURS LATER
 On August 5, 1981 Ronald Reagan fired all the workers
who did not report to work. In all over 10,000 were fired
and banned from working Government jobs for life. The
firing resulted in the ATC losing most of their workers in
a short amount of time and began an influx of the
number ATC workers that still reach 1981 numbers to
this day.

29. Aftermath of the Firings
The firings gave the leverage back to the United States
since there were people crossing the strike line and went
back to their jobs. After Regan’s press conference, over
1,000 people returned while the others continued to strike.
This was a crucial moment since the FAA realized it can
overcome the strike and work with the shortage of
controllers. Had all 17,000 workers continued to strike, the
tide would have turned to the PATCO workers and forced
negotiations to Reagan. Due to the illegal tactics, the
PATCO workers and officials would be punished by the
law.

31. Aftermath of the Workers
The strikers who lost their jobs and ability to work for the United
States Government was something that really affected the
former Military workers who did not have college degrees or
experience to have the ability to make the same income as
before. In 1982, the workers were allowed to apply for 2
Federal Jobs: the Department of Defense and the United
States Postal Service. Very few got hired due to the fact that
the strikers were being blackballed for not returning to work.
Due to this, a 1986 study found that “ 70% of fired controllers
had yet to find jobs that matched their pre-strike income
meanwhile 1/3 earned incomes so low that their families
qualified for food stamps” (4)

33. Life after PATCO
PATCO strikers were finally apply and be able to return to
their lives as Air traffic controllers on August 12, 1993. The
notion approved by Bill Clinton brought hope to the former
strikers even though they had to go through the same
application and training process as they did years ago as
trainees. This had very little success due to a hiring
stoppage later on. Overall only a few over 800 people
returned to their positions before the strike.

35. Death of PATCO
On October 22, 1981 the PATCO was decertified and was
no longer a recognized union. After various appeals, on
June 12, 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to uphold
the de-certification of the PATCO. This was the final blow
since, the PATCO filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and was
still owing the FAA over 32.5 million dollars in fines. The
void of a ATC union led to the creation National Air Traffic
Controllers Association ( NATCA) which is still working
hand in hand with the FAA.

37. Analysis
The strike happened to be in a wrong place wrong time part of
history. The PATCO officials were asking for a package that
would equal over 650 million dollars at a time when the United
States was drafting the Reagan Doctrine. Ronald Regan at the
time was looking to find a way to show the public that he was a
strong leader. Reagan overall did live up to his word with his
advisers keeping dialogue with PATCO officials and negotiating
longer than it was legally allowed. There were counter-offers
with increases of 10% for all workers and shorter work weeks
but were rejected by the PATCO officials. With the United
States Postal Service ready to strike, Reagan decided to
overreact to send a message to the world that The United
States is still a super-power and specifically to the workers, that
he would not tolerate any type of insubordination. Overall this
was a changing point for the workers since the failed strike
attempt scared many unions from striking and ending up like
PATCO.
To this day, there is a scarcity of Air Traffic Controllers.

38. Sources ( 1/2)
Amadeo, Kimberly. "Why the Dollar Is
Worth So Much Less Than It Used to Be."
The Balance. The Balance, 09 Nov. 2016.
Web. 02 May 2017.
J, J. J. "FLRA.gov." FLRA. Whit, 10 Aug.
2012. Web. 02 May 2017.
Exec. Order No. 10988, 3 C.F.R. 10
(1962). Print.
A, A. A. "Remarks." Reagan Library. The
Ronald Reagan Library, 1 Jan. 2010. Web.
27 Apr. 2017.
Barnes, Bart. "Robert Poli, Who Led 1981
Strike That Led Reagan to Fire Traffic
Controllers, Dies at 78." The Washington
Post. WP Company, 23 Sept. 2014. Web.
02 May 2017.

39. Sources (2/2)
Mccartin, Joseph A. Collision Course:
Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers,
and the Strike That Changed America.
Place of Publication Not Identified: Oxford
UP, 2013. Print.
Shostak, Art. "An Unhappy 25th
Anniversary: The Patco Strike in
Retrospective." New Labor Forum 15, no. 3
(2006): 74-82.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40342646. Traynor, Thomas L., and Rudy H.
Fichtenbaum. "The Impact of Post-
Patco Labor Relations on U.S. Union
Wages." Eastern Economic Journal
23, no. 1 (1997): 61-72.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40325754.