An old lesson still holds for unions (PATCO vs President Ronald Reagan)

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/07/31/an_old_lesson_still_holds_for_unions/



An old lesson still holds for unions

By Steve Early | July 31, 2006

THIS SUMMER marks the 25th anniversary of a strike whose outcome still haunts organized labor -- and affects the job conditions of millions of nonunion workers as well.

On Aug. 3, 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization launched a nationwide walkout after years of conflict with the Federal Aviation Administration. President Ronald Reagan, a onetime Hollywood union leader, gave the strikers 48 hours to return to work. When 11,345 ignored his ultimatum, he fired them all. Meanwhile, the FAA kept air traffic flowing, at greatly reduced volume, with the help of supervisors, nonstrikers, and military controllers.

Reagan's mass dismissal of PATCO members -- and their black-listing from further federal employment -- was the biggest, most dramatic act of union-busting in 20th-century America. PATCO's destruction ushered in a decade of lost strikes and lockouts, triggered by management demands for pay and benefit givebacks that continue to this day in a wide range of industries.

Whenever longtime union members gather now to bemoan the weakened state of labor, PATCO is invariably mentioned. If only we had all stuck together, they say, and displayed the kind of strike solidarity necessary to meet Reagan's challenge, the history of the last 25 years might have been different for labor.

[evlbstrd]

1. When that happened, I worked in a union shop.

I asked my union brothers if they voted for Reagan. Most said yes.

[Virginia Dare]

21. Reagan was a master at divide and conquer...

actually the props go to Lee Atwater, he was the brains behind it.

[David Zephyr]

2. The Wobblies.

The arrest and imprisonment of the IWW's membership by President Wilson's Attorney General was "was the biggest, most dramatic act of union-busting in 20th-century America". The author of this article, Steve Early, shouldn't make such grand statements without checking the facts first.

While the PATCO episode certainly was a blow to organized labor, it hardly was the worst event that unions suffered in those 100 years.

I would suggest that after the IWW assault, that the clever "off-shoring" of American jobs was the second "biggest, most dramatic act of union-busting in 20th-century America."

DZ

[Omaha Steve]

5. Wilson was President when strikers were killed in Colorado too

I'm looking for the story online. No link yet.

[David Zephyr]

8. Ludlow. Here's Howard Zinn's words on Ludlow & Woody Guthrie's song.

You are right, Omaha Steve. I am no fan of Woodrow Wilson. He has his apolgists here at the DU, but before Wison had his stroke, his Attorney General, A. Mitchell Palmer, had long planned the now infamous "Palmer Raids" on dissidents of WWI, union activists, left-wing organizers, immigrants and, of course, against the noble Wobblies of the Industrial Workers of the World.

With regards to the Ludlow Massacre, Professor Howard Zinn wrote about it in his classic "A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES" and Woody Guthrie penned the lyrics below to his song about Ludlow.

Good to meet you here at the DU. :hi:



*******************************************************************************************


From "A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES" by Howard Zinn

"a telephone linesman going through the ruins of the Ludlow tent colony ... found the charred, twisted bodies of eleven children and two women. This became known as the Ludlow Massacre."

THE LUDLOW MASSACRE Massacre

"... shortly after Woodrow Wilson took office there began in Colorado one of the most bitter and violent struggles between workers and corporate capital in the history of the country.

"This was the Colorado coal strike that began in September 1913 and culminated in the 'Ludlow Massacre' of April 1914. Eleven thousand miners in southern Colorado ... worked for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation, which was owned by the Rockefeller family. Aroused by the murder of one of their organizers, they went on strike against low pay, dangerous conditions, and feudal domination of their lives in towns completely controlled by the mining companies. ...

"When the strike began, the miners were immediately evicted from their shacks in the mining towns. Aided by the United Mine Workers Union, they set up tents in the nearby hills and carried on the strike, the picketing, from these tent colonies. The gunmen hired by the Rockefeller interests -- the Baldwin- Felts Detective Agency -- using Gatling guns and rifles, raided the tent colonies. The death list of miners grew, but they hung on, drove back an armored train in a gun battle, fought to keep out strikebreakers. With the miners resisting, refusing to give in, the mines not able to operate, the Colorado governor (referred to by a Rockefeller mine manager as 'our little cowboy governor') called out the National Guard, with the Rockefellers supplying the Guard's wages.

"The miners at first thought the Guard was sent to protect them, and greeted its arrival with flags and cheers. They soon found out the Guard was there to destroy the strike. The Guard brought strikebreakers in under cover of night, not telling them there was a strike. Guardsmen beat miners, arrested them by the hundreds, rode down with their horses parades of women in the streets of Trinidad, the central town in the area. And still the miners refused to give in. When they lasted through the cold winter of 1913-1914, it became clear that extraordinary measures would be needed to break the strike.

"In April 1914, two National Guard companies were stationed in the hills overlooking the largest tent colony of strikers, the one at Ludlow, housing a thousand men, women, children. On the morning of April 20, a machine gun attack began on the tents. The miners fired back. Their leader, ..., was lured up into the hills to discuss a truce, then shot to death by a company of National Guardsmen. The women and children dug pits beneath the tents to escape the gunfire. At dusk, the Guard moved down from the hills with torches, set fire to the tents, and the families fled into the hills; thirteen people were killed by gunfire.

"The following day, a telephone linesman going through the ruins of the Ludlow tent colony lifted an iron cot covering a pit in one of the tents and found the charred, twisted bodies of eleven children and two women. This became known as the Ludlow Massacre.

"The news spread quickly over the country. In Denver, the United Mine Workers issued a 'Call to Arms' -- 'Gather together for defensive purposes all arms and ammunition legally available.' Three hundred armed strikers marched from other tent colonies into the Ludlow area, cut telephone and telegraph wires, and prepared for battle. Railroad workers refused to take soldiers from Trinidad to Ludlow. At Colorado Springs, three hundred union miners walked off their jobs and headed for
the Trinidad district, carrying revolvers, rifles, shotguns.

"In Trinidad itself, miners attended a funeral service for the twenty-six dead at Ludlow, then walked from the funeral to a nearby building, where arms were stacked for them. They picked up rifles and moved into the hills, destroying mines, killing mine guards, exploding mine shafts. The press reported that 'the hills in every direction seem suddenly to be alive with men.'

"In Denver, eighty-two soldiers in a company on a troop train headed for Trinidad refused to go. The press reported: 'The men declared they would not engage in the shooting of women and children. They hissed the 350 men who did start and shouted imprecations at them.

"Five thousand people demonstrated in the rain on the lawn in front of the state capital at Denver asking that the National Guard officers at Ludlow be tried for murder, denouncing the governor as an accessory. The Denver Cigar Makers Union voted to send five hundred armed men to Ludlow and Trinidad. Women in the United Garment Workers Union in Denver announced four hundred of their members had volunteered as nurses to help the strikers.

"All over the country there were meetings, demonstrations. Pickets marched in front of the Rockefeller office at 26 Broadway, New York City. A minister protested in front of the church where Rockefeller sometimes gave sermons, and was clubbed by the police.

"The New York Times carried an editorial on the events in Colorado, which were not attracting international attention. The Times emphasis was not on the atrocity that had occurred, but on the mistake in tactics that had been made. Its editorial on the Ludlow Massacre began: 'Somebody blundered ... ' Two days later, with the miners armed and in the hills of the mine district, the Times wrote: 'With the deadliest weapons of civilization in the hands of savage-mined men, there can be no telling to what lengths the war in Colorado will go unless it is quelled by force ... The President should turn his attention from Mexico long enough to take stern measures in Colorado.'

"The governor of Colorado ask for federal troops to restore order, and Woodrow Wilson complied. This accomplished, the strike petered out. Congressional committees came in and took thousands of pages of testimony. The union had not won recognition. Sixty-six men, women, and children had been killed. Not one militiaman or mine guard had been indicted for crime.

<...>

"The Times had referred to Mexico. On the morning that the bodies were discovered in the tent pit at Ludlow, American warships were attacking Vera Cruz, a city on the coast of Mexico--bombarding it, occupying it, leaving a hundred Mexicans dead--because Mexico had arrested American sailors and refused to apologize to the United States with a twenty-one gun salute. Could patriotic fervor and the military spirit cover up class struggle? Unemployment, hard times, were growing in 1914. Could guns divert attention and create some national consensus against an external enemy? It surely was a coincidence--the bombardment of Vera Cruz, the attack on the Ludlow colony. Or perhaps it was, as someone once described human history, 'the natural selection of accidents.' Perhaps the affair in Mexico was an instinctual response of the system for its own survival, to create a unity of fighting purpose among a people torn by internal conflict.

"The bombardment of Vera Cruz was a small incident. But in four months the First World War would begin in Europe." ---- Howard Zinn, People's History of the United States

*************************************************************************************************

THE LUDLOW MASSACRE
(By Woody Guthrie)

It was early springtime that the strike was on
They moved us miners out of doors
Out from the houses that the company owned
We moved into tents at old Ludlow

I was worried bad about my children
Soldiers guarding the railroad bridge
Every once in a while a bullet would fly
Kick up gravel under my feet

We were so afraid they would kill our children
We dug us a cave that was seven foot deep
Carried our young ones and a pregnant woman
Down inside the cave to sleep

That very night you soldier waited
Until us miners were asleep
You snuck around our little tent town
Soaked our tents with your kerosene

You struck a match and the blaze it started
You pulled the triggers of your gatling guns
I made a run for the children but the fire wall stopped me
Thirteen children died from your guns

I carried my blanket to a wire fence corner
Watched the fire till the blaze died down
I helped some people grab their belongings
While your bullets killed us all around

I will never forget the looks on the faces
Of the men and women that awful day
When we stood around to preach their funerals
And lay the corpses of the dead away

We told the Colorado governor to call the President
Tell him to call off his National Guard
But the National Guard belong to the governor
So he didn't try so very hard

Our women from Trinidad they hauled some potatoes
Up to Walsenburg in a little cart
They sold their potatoes and brought some guns back
And put a gun in every hand

The state soldiers jumped us in a wire fence corner
They did not know that we had these guns
And the red neck miners mowed down them troopers
You should have seen those poor boys run

We took some cement and walled that cave up
Where you killed those thirteen children inside
I said, "God bless the Mine Workers' Union"
And then I hung my head and cried

[MercutioATC]

3. You do realize they're doing the same thing to NATCA right now, don't you?

I'm assuming you were a PATCO controller. Before we start this dialogue, let me state my credentials (I've had negative experiences with PATCO controllers in the past).

I've been a controller at Cleveland Center for over 15 years. My EOD is in 1991. That's 10 years after the strike. If some people want to consider me a "scab", I guess that's their right, but I was 13 years old in 1981...


On to current events...


As you may be aware, the FAA is attempting to unilaterally impose their "contract" on controllers. 5-year pay freezes (on top of pay cuts), split shifts, dress codes, annual leave at the discretion of management...they're doing everything they can to accomplish two things: 1) encourage controllers to say "Why should I pay dues? The union isn't doing anything for me." and 2) bait NATCA into a job action, which would be legal reason to disband the union.

In addition, (and far less publicized) the FAA is implementing new "Quality Assurance" programs that are completely arbitrary and afford them an excellent opportunity to "witch hunt". The new contract implements a new (lower) pay scale for new hires. Wanna bet which seniority levels will be targeted?

If you have a real interest, I'd be happy to discuss specifics. I just wanted to let you know that FAA union-busting is alive and well in 2006.

[Omaha Steve]

6. I was never PATCO, but...

I had already filed a complaint with the NLRB about my illegal firing for organizing.

Industrial Label Corporation and Graphic Arts In-ternational Union, Local 520. Case 17-CA-9763.

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:8Lzmr3jH_yEJ:www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/shared_files/decisions/261/261-38.pdf+nlrb+dawes&hl=en

So it was a hard time for my family too.

[N90ATC]

10. Former ZOB ATC

I'm a controller at the NY Tracon. I've voted GOP in the past but never again! The war on NATCA has resulted in some ludicrous actions such as the 70% rule wherein at least 70% of us have to be on position at all times. It might not sound so bad to people outside but this is a demanding job & having 2 short breaks & one brief luch hour results in ATC's being overwhelmed when the busy stuff comes in. There have been other little games the administration has played such as firing people without just cause (all were subsequently rehired by an arbitrater) and changing days off with little notice. Meanwhile more & more supervisors are being hired for reasons beyond any ability for a smart man to understand. I have 20 years in as of last Saturday so I can retire at a reduced pension if I choose. I don't plan on doing that but I have now swirched my donations to Dems & will soon start voting for them too.

[MercutioATC]

11. Welcome to DU!

How long ago did you leave ZOB?

We're also living under the "70% Rule"...until an area has a deal. Then, that area goes to 80% for 30 days. You don't know what fun is until you've spent a month working at 80%... :eyes:

The decisions management is making are ridiculous. The only way we're going to change that is to get a Dem in the White House so we can get a different Sec. of Transportation and a different FAA Administrator. Until that happens, they're going to let Russ Chew run the FAA into the ground just he ran American Airlines into the ground.

[N90ATC]

12. Left in 1993

I was in the area that worked Clarion. A friend just sent me an email about a Senate bill by David Pryor that would force Marion Blinky back to the bargaining table. The low GOP ratings could work in our favor. This White House has a tin ear for politics. Maybe 45% of our union was GOP & now it's got to be below 25%.

[MercutioATC]

13. Was that before or after Clarion went to Area 7?

I was in Area 5 until they opened Area 8 about 3 years ago...started at ZOB in 1991

[N90ATC]

14. Both

Before AND after. Area 7 opened in late 1992 & I was there for about a year before moving to NY. I wonder if I know you...

[MercutioATC]

15. Rich Hellner. I would have still been training...

Houdeshell's crew (he did eventually retire, by the way).

[N90ATC]

16. Oh, I remember you!

I'm John...and Houdy was a piece of shit if I recall...

[MercutioATC]

17. John! How the hell ya been?

Yeah, Howdy was a piece of work, but he was O.K. to people on his crew. He retired, took some big contract with Boeing when they were trying to privatize us, and the last I knew he was working as the "parking lot shopping cart guy" at Home Depot (I'm not kidding).

Ernie Bowman finally retired last year, Beaumont transferred to Jacksonville, Jerry Johnson is now the Area 5 NATCA rep, and Jimmy Gomoka came back to ZOB a few months ago as an Ops manager.

Good to talk to you!


..small world...

[N90ATC]

18. Interesting!

Good to "see" you again! I miss all you guys. I prefer where I work now(traffic-wise) but you guys were the best. I haven't heard about that nutty 80% rule yet but I can only imagine....

I just worked a midnight shift & I was pretty busy. It sucks that they're beating up on us like this...Talk to you later, Rich...

[MercutioATC]

19. I just got off of a mid, too. Gotta get some sleep.

Keep in touch...

[unkachuck]

4. "No labor movement can long survive,

....much less thrive, without a strong culture of mutual aid and protection."

....exactly, if flight attendants, pilots, machinists, mechanics, janitors, every Union in the industry, all went out and shut down the entire airline system in '80, Unions would be in much better shape today....

....and, Unions have got to quit cooperating with management....management will never give up their 'right to manage' reguarding money, business decisions and conpany control....

....Union leadership needs to get back to a much more adversarial relationship with management and membership needs to be educated and prepared for only two eventualities vis a vis management; we contractually get what we want or we're prepared to see the business close....

....I've been part of having companies close but most of the time they're going to close anyway....you might get year or so; their long-range greed is the ultimate driving agent not your give-backs....

....Unions that get in bed with management and assume business responsibilities is like having a lawyer working for the prosecutor....you can't make people be 'Union-minded' but you can make belonging to a Union mean something again....

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Most Democrats didn't stand up for PATCO, either

:grr:

Yes, the concept of solidarity seems to have nearly vanished among the working class.

In the mid 1990s, the grocery workers' union (I forget what it's called) in Portland struck against Fred Meyer, a large grocery/variety store in the Pacific Northwest. Guess who honored the picket lines--not the working class people. It was we much maligned "far left" types who honored the picket lines, brought food and drink for the picketers, and honked (those of us who had cars--I didn't, so I just gave a thumbs up when walking past) in support when passing by.

It was sad to see obviously poor people, who could have used some union representation themselves, walking through the picket line. I suppose Rush had told them that unions were evil, and the local RW gabbers had told them that the Fred Meyer workers were just spoiled brats who already earned more than they did.

[David Zephyr]

9. Sad, but too true, Lydia.

Recently, the the picket lines during the strikes here in California against Ralph's and Von's and Albertson's were not honored by the working class either. Our family took them food and drinks and stood various times with them. I wanted my neighbors to see me there so that they would be embarrassed to shop. Of course, we now know that this current Ralph's (Kroger owned) was illegally paying workers and has since been fined.

The working class in America is deluded in that they do not understand that they are "working class". I wish the Democratic Party had the spine to eductate the so-called middle class that they do not live off of dividends, rents and royalties, but rather that they survive from going to "work" everyday in order to pick up a paycheck. Personally, I like Karl Marx's term of "wage slave" best, because it cuts through the fog of terms like "blue-collar" and "white collar"; or "hourly" and "salary"; or "factory" and "office".

:hi:

[OzarkDem]

20. Some suggestions

Unions should try to do more to educate the public about the issues they're striking over. The public will support them more if they understand the issues.

There have been times when the public has been asked to take sides on issues that don't have a great deal with wages, benefits or working conditions - but internal squabbles about one union trying to establish dominance over another. We've had problems with one of the SEIU locals in our area who wants to try to force RN's at local hospitals to join their union. The spent millions on a tv ad campaign bashing local Dems who didn't support them. That kind of thing hurts them, the nurses should be free to join their own union.



I grow weary of hearing union people say "I voted Republican last time, but I'll never do that again". I've heard them say that since I became politically active in the 1970's and it hasn't changed. Union leaders should spend more time educating their rank and file so they don't get distracted by "wedge issues".

Bottom line, no one gets everything they want every time, but you're much more likely to get support from Dems than you are from the GOP. That applies to any special interest group.