The PATCO Disaster

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The PATCO Disaster

• By Concetta Sardzinski

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What is PATCO?

• Professional Air Traffic Controllers
• A labor union that once represented the United
  States air traffic controllers.
• Founded in 1968
• Broken 1981
• Dealt with matters dealing with pay, benefits,
  working hours and conditions.
• Successful until 1981

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PATCOs Achievements

• In 1969, controllers received a substantial pay
  increase.
• 110 above previous pay
• Negotiated better pay, training, staffing and
  retirement package

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Current Conditions

• Starting controllers made 15k a year
• 7 yrs or more to make 29,000
• 40 work week
• No breaks
• Mandatory overtime
• Retired early
• Stress
• 89 left job before retirement age
• Obsolete equipment

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PATCOs Requests

• Wage increase of 10,000
• Reduced work week
• Full retirement after 20 years
• Improved working conditions
• Breaks
• No more mandatory overtime
• Updated equipment

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Counteroffer

• FAA denied PATCOs requests
• Counteroffer
• 10 increase for nightshift
• 10 increase for instructors
• Shorter workweek
• Members rejected FAAs offer
• 95 turned offer down
• Strike

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What Went Wrong?

• Strike
• Almost 13,000 controllers out on strike
• PATCO not prepared for strike
• Reagan was
• Trusted Ronald Reagan
• Union member and union president
• Letter
• Lacked full support of other unions
• Needed sister unions to strike with them

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Reagans Letter

• I have been briefed by members of my staff as to
  the deplorable state of our nations air traffic
  control system. They have told me that too few
  people are working unreasonable hours with
  obsolete equipment. You can rest assure that if
  I am elected president I will take whatever steps
  are necessary I pledge to you that my
  administration will work very closely with you to
  bring about a spirit of ccoperation between the
  president and the air traffic controllers.

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Needed Sister Union Support

• Canada Strike
• Very short
• Needed full support from work-related unions.
• Pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, baggage
  handlers
• Didnt strike with them because of fear
• Poor economy at time
• Might have had different outcome

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Reagans Betrayal

• Controllers striking broke a 1955 law
• Banned strikes by government unions
• Reagan invoked Taft-Harley Act
• Forty eight hours to return to work
• Fired 11,359 controller
• Banned FAA from ever rehiring them

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Reagan was Prepared

• Took legal action against strikers
• Dismantled Union
• Forced it to bankruptcy
• Trained non-union controllers
• 481 near plane misses
• Air Florida crash
• Public Support
• Charismatic and strong
• Jealousy

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Detrimental to Unions

• Turning point in U.S. labor relations
• Important for government to break PATCO
• Strong Union
• Major strikes plummeted
• 300 to 30 a year
• Public doesnt seem to support unions
• Should be happy with what they have attitude

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Unions Still Repairing Damage

• Air traffic controllers reorganized in 1987
• National Air Traffic Controllers Association
  (NATCA)
• Rehiring ban lifted by Clinton in 1993
• Approximately 850 PATCO strikers rehired
• Congress passed the Federal Aviation
  Reauthorization Act in 1996
• Codifies NATCAs ability to bargain collectively
  with the FAA

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What Unions Need to do?

• Be prepared
• When bargaining
• If Strike
• Increase numbers
• Stay united
• Stronger together than alone

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