The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) walked off their jobs with the Federal Aviation Administration 28 years ago today. President Reagan threatened to fire the controllers if they didn’t return within 48 hours. Other unions failed to support PATCO. And so began the end of the labor movement in the United States.
Reagan fired 11,345 striking air traffic controllers.
And then, without the slightest trace of irony, they named an airport after his ass!
Yes, it miust really irk the controllers at formerly Washington National to have to say many times a day, “Ronald Reagan National Airport”. It was already named for a president!
It’ll always be just National to me.