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Break from the Grind August 3, 2010
TRIVIAL PURSUITS: How Did President Reagan Strike Back at the Striking Controllers?
August 3, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - On this day in 1981, 13,000 members of the U.S. Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) walked off the job.
Reported by Nevin E. Adams
President Ronald Reagan fired back (no pun intended), threatening to fire any workers who were still on the picket line as of August 5.
Well, two days later he fired the 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored the order to return to work. He also took another action in response to their strike. Do you know what that was?
Answer:
On August 5, President Reagan not only fired the 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored the order – he banned them from federal service for life (a ban that was later rescinded by President Bill Clinton in 1993).