Reply #27: I wouldn't call it impunity [View All]

[Autonomy]

Reagan's use of Taft-Hartley was based solely on the fact that PATCO was a union of government employees, who were legally bound to arbitrate, and not allowed to strike. (The "fascism" is rooted in Taft-Hartley, and Reagan's willingness to use it.) However, private employers are still subject to the courts' decisions, and they often lose.

There might be a small contribution to the decline of unions in that history, but I would bet the farm that there is a much higher correlation between decline in union membership and the loss of manufacturing jobs.

The irony: guess who PATCO endorsed in the 1980 presidential election. Yep, Ronald Reagan. :p