The PATCO strike began on August 3, 1981 with over 13,000 people walking out.  This "illegal" act was met with a quick response from President Ronald Reagan (Sconberger p 1).  Reagan told the strikers, "Either return to work within 48 hours or be fired from government service for breaking the 'oath of office' not to strike (Sconberger, special report, p. 12).  While roughly 1,200 workers returned to work, another 12,000 remained on strike and were promptly fired  (Sconberger p 1).  This caused a serious safety problem for the airlines, inconveniences for many Americans, and lost profits for many businesses.  Controllers needed to be replaced and it needed to be done fast.  As a result, their were many questions on the safety of airlines.  In order to understand the effects of the strike on the safety of airlines, an understanding of the PATCO movement is necessary.

The Rise and Fall...