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This is the slide show of the
PATCO 25th. The
25th reunion held since the strike of 81.
August 3,1981, This is a sad day in the annals of the
American labor movement. It will always be remembered as
the day that organized labor in the United States
began to loose any leverage over the employer, by the
actual or threat of a strike, to gain benefits for the
worker, all because the president of the United States
authorized the replacement of the 13000 striking PATCO
air traffic controllers. Thus the rules of fair labor
practice had been set that any company could
replace an striking employee and was not obligated to
reemploy any striking ex-employee at the end of the
labor action.. |
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Now that I have said my piece, let
me describe in detail what went on at the
reunion which was held at the Seminole Indian Hard
Rock Casino located in Hollywood Florida near Fort
Lauderdale. Our room cost $119.00 for the 2 days, if you
wanted to stay longer the room rate went up to $399.00
per night. I understand the hotel was sold out for the
week end so there are crazy people out there willing to
spend that kind of money. The only games they had
was Texas Holdem and slots .
The reunion drew only about 200 ex controllers and their
wives. It was interesting talking to these men the
youngest of them was probably 55. I did not hear anyone
leading a cheer that we will be back. I got the feeling
we were all a bunch of has been's who were hoping for
any benefit they could get from the government, But
their hope was fading. Mostly it was just a bunch of old
timers reminiscing old times. As we left Florida on the
return flight to Ohio, my thoughts turned to the up
coming surgery. |
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