Thirty-three years ago next month, Ronald Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers and started the downward spiral both economically and psychologically that working class Americans have lived with this past generation.
In a related note, the leadership at WaterSaver Faucet Co. and its sister company, Guardian Equipment Co., have been monitoring their employees bathroom breaks, to make sure they don't exceed their allotment of time--six minutes per workday. Thus far, nineteen employees have been disciplined for peeing and pooping too much on company time.
For all the bullshit we get from republicans about the sainted Reagan, this is his true legacy: we now live in a time when not only can the people we work for control our sex lives (see also, Burwell v. Knobby Jobby), they can also fire us for taking a wiz.
Mine eyes have seen the glory, indeed.
Peace,
emaycee
Showing posts with label Air Traffic Controllers Strike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air Traffic Controllers Strike. Show all posts
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
A deal with the devil is no deal at all
August 5th was the thirty-second anniversary of Ronald Reagan's firing of the air traffic controllers for striking. As such, strikes virtually never occur in America today, and working people have lost the only leverage they ever really had. Since that time union memebership in America has plummeted, the gap between rich and poor has reached historic proportions, and the working men and women of America have been fighting a losing battle to keep their heads above water financially.
Unbeknownst to many (as pointed out in this excellent piece by Steven D for The Daily Kos), was that Mr. Reagan had promised PATCO (the air traffic controllers union) that he would work with them to satisfy their demands (President Carter, in what may have been the worst of many bad decision, would not negotiate with PATCO)--a promise which won him the backing of PATCO in the 1980 Presidential election against Carter. On August 5, 1981, Mr. Reagan fired 11,000 air traffic controllers, which, also unbeknownst to many set the airline industry back years and cost billions--that's right, billions--more to repair the damage done to the industry than it would have cost to have met all of the demands of the union. Mr. Reagan, of course, had no desire to work with the union--as we see still from republicans, this was another case of republicans putting their ideology above what was best not only for America, but for the American people. That we let them anywhere near anything that has to do with monetary policy is a testament to the power of corporate lobbyists (not to mention the ability to be suckered which afflicts far too many Americans).
What Reagan's action also underscores is that all the talk of the need for bipartisanship in the halls of Congress is just so much hogwash--we should be ever vigilant. A deal with the devil is very often no deal at all.
Sort of like all those jobs republicans have created (repeal Obamacare anyone?) since they ran on jobs, jobs, jobs in 2010.
Peace,
emaycee
Unbeknownst to many (as pointed out in this excellent piece by Steven D for The Daily Kos), was that Mr. Reagan had promised PATCO (the air traffic controllers union) that he would work with them to satisfy their demands (President Carter, in what may have been the worst of many bad decision, would not negotiate with PATCO)--a promise which won him the backing of PATCO in the 1980 Presidential election against Carter. On August 5, 1981, Mr. Reagan fired 11,000 air traffic controllers, which, also unbeknownst to many set the airline industry back years and cost billions--that's right, billions--more to repair the damage done to the industry than it would have cost to have met all of the demands of the union. Mr. Reagan, of course, had no desire to work with the union--as we see still from republicans, this was another case of republicans putting their ideology above what was best not only for America, but for the American people. That we let them anywhere near anything that has to do with monetary policy is a testament to the power of corporate lobbyists (not to mention the ability to be suckered which afflicts far too many Americans).
What Reagan's action also underscores is that all the talk of the need for bipartisanship in the halls of Congress is just so much hogwash--we should be ever vigilant. A deal with the devil is very often no deal at all.
Sort of like all those jobs republicans have created (repeal Obamacare anyone?) since they ran on jobs, jobs, jobs in 2010.
Peace,
emaycee
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