Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 04:13:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Drew Bittner <drewbitt at yahoo.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Odd events
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

--- Ted White <twhite8 at cox.net> wrote:

> ronkean at juno.com wrote:
>
> [...]
> >
> >  The air traffic controllers, who were already
> highly paid, were
> >  arguably trying to extort even higher wages, and
> Reagan's response
> >  was probably the right one.
>
> I strongly disagree.  Reagan's desire (which he
> fulfilled) was to *break
> the union*.  There are few jobs in this country with
> more responsibility
> and stress, and the air controllers were also (as
> they still are)
> hampered by obsolete and barely functional
> equipment.  What's it worth,
> salary-wise, to keep the controllers sane and
> functioning optimally?
> Consider the alternative.
>
> --Ted White
>
I'm with Ted. What's the point of a union if the right
to strike is made illegal? Hell, if American business
could manage it, that would be the default condition
and unions would lose what little power they still
have.
Yeah, the NY strike is inconvenient and costly as hell
but the union workers didn't cause these problems.
They have to work together to create a satisfactory
solution, and demonizing the union isn't the way to do
it.
And Reagan's goal was to crush the air traffic
controllers, not find a reasonable compromise. I have
a lot of thoughts about #40... and not many of them
are complimentary.

Drew

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