Today in Labor History Oct 20 The union endorsed Reagan, 9 months later he fired them (PATCO)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.unionist.com/today-in-labor-history

October 20

October 20, 1912 - Thomas Van Lear, a leader of the Machinists Union and candidate for mayor of Minneapolis on the “Public Ownership” ticket, was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Beer Bottlers Union. Elected mayor in 1916, Van Lear advocated public ownership of gas, electricity and coal supplies and championed more funding for the public schools.

Eugene V. Debs, U.S. labor leader and socialist, dies in Elmhurst, Ill. Among his radical ideas: an eight-hour workday, pensions, workman's compensation, sick leave and social security. He ran for president from a jail cell in 1920 and got a million votes - 1926

Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan writes to PATCO President Robert Poli with this promise: if the union endorses Reagan "I will take whatever steps are necessary to provide our air traffic controllers with the most modern equipment available and to adjust staff levels and work days so that they are commensurate with achieving a maximum degree of public safety." He got the endorsement. Nine months after the election, he fires the air traffic controllers for engaging in an illegal walkout over staffing levels and working conditions - 1980

And this version: October 20, 1980 - Candidate Ronald Reagan wrote a letter to PATCO President Robert Poli, promising that if the union endorsed him, “I will take whatever steps are necessary to provide our air traffic controllers with the most modern equipment available and to adjust staff levels and work days so that they are commensurate with achieving a maximum degree of public safety.” The union endorsed Reagan and, nine months after his election, President Reagan fired the air traffic controllers for engaging in an illegal walkout over staffing levels and working conditions.


Death of Merle Travis, songwriter and performer who wrote "Sixteen Tons" & "Dark as a Dungeon" - 1983

Labor history found here: http://www.unionist.com/today-in-labor-history & here: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?history_9_10_20_2009

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. Wow...I had no idea about the Reagan bit.

I knew that he had struck a death blow against labor when he fired the air traffic controllers. I did not know that he had done it after promising not to.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. The PATCO Firings Were The Opening Salvo In The War On The Middle Class

A war which http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6812726&mesg_id=6812726">continues to this day.

[ramapo]

3. The union leaders were fools

I remember thinking WTF when I heard about their endorsement. They should've known better.

The saddest part of the whole saga is that Reagan's move to fire the controllers was pretty popular. You know, take that you greedy, socialist unionists.